The Fourth Perspective

History is a cycle; it perpetuates itself time and again, capitalizing on human weakness and the gullibility of the uninformed and the misinformed. It is akin to a hammer that persistently pounds on an unmoving nail till it sink way over its head. Imperialism, Hegemony, and Colonization are old cliché, and they always refer to one thing... Dominance. The imperialist of the modern times find it less costly to employ soft power to achieve control and dominance, and that what OBOR is all about. China ’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative will be the modern equivalent of China ’s Silk Road , established more than 2000 years ago. The Silk Road was a web of trade routes that had connected China to the countries in the Middle East, and certain parts of Asia .  Its sole objective then was to market Chinese Silk beyond its border. The OBOR on the other hand, is partly and similarly aimed, to create a network of infrastructures like roads, railways, roads, pipelines, and utility gri...

It’s not improbable, in fact, it’s possible and doable. In about three years the Philippine Navy may be able to possess a number of naval carriers as arsenal ships or as platforms for anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missiles, Long Range Multiple Launch Rocket System (LR-MLRS) and helicopters, if and only if, the Philippine Navy, and the government at large, will abandon the tenets of orthodoxy and traditionalism in the procurement of military assets. Hence, in the process of reinventing itself, it may find prudence and the practicality, of using the hulls and superstructures of five to ten years old merchant ships, available for sale in the world market. The size and dimension of which, may depend on its intended purpose. The Strategic Sea Lift Vessels (SSV) procured from Indonesia ’s PT PAL had cost the Armed Forces roughly around US$ 160 million; both SSV has an average length of 123 meters. The equivalent amount of money which may be allotted for future SSV may largely be use...

Any avenue of approach in a war zone is a kill zone, be it an urban pave-ways or rural settings. The AFP have been sustaining unusually high casualties, resultant of inadequate armor and fire support. Individual infantry men were fully exposed while in marches on unfamiliar terrain towards the insurgent’s lair. Military vehicles have to traverse enemy territories without the security of protective armor (metal plates, chopped tree-trunks mounted on side of vehicles, sand bags, etc.).  Corollary, essential intelligence can easily be obtained in advance through aerial reconnaissance even before convoys proceed towards its destination. While the latter can be provided by available and inexpensive technology like drones, its utilization had remained an exception rather than the rule. Insurgent’s stationery bunkers/ fortifications greatly offset the AFP’s numerical advantage, that otherwise can easily be eliminated by an explosive blast. Sniper behind hard cover, like the inside of bui...

” Angel of GOD. My guardian dear, to whom GOD’s love commits me here, ever this day, be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide”. This is a prayer that Christians, mostly Catholics had mastered since childhood. It was a prayer muttered or said aloud before bedtime, mostly by children. Its essence was to seek comfort while in a journey to rest, while the body is helpless and prostrate. The thought of somebody watching around when the body is in its most defenseless state was and is indeed comforting. It was a call for an unseen entity presumably task by GOD to perform the functions uttered in the prayer, among others. Upon reaching adulthood the prayer faded to space. The lost of interest in the prayer could be because of personal pride, it was regarded as childish. It diminished the perception of independence and strength. Though deep inside, there is this longing for angels, it was discreetly called for help, there is a constant plea for its attention, especially at the ...

The current administration is voicing its intention to re-establish the defunct Philippine Constabulary (PC), which, according to them, will be manned by people from the Armed Forces. What does the intention suggest? Maybe just maybe, there was a lost of confidence, and doubt ensues on the part of the president in as far as loyalty. discipline and the ability of the police force to fulfill the mandate on the war against drugs. One cannot teach old dog new tricks so to speak. If ever, it will take some time, with accompanying uncertainty on the outcome that may prove beyond measure. And time is a luxury that this administration can't afford in relation to its promises, especially now that International human rights advocates had started to breathe behind their necks. Probably, the PC proponent may have found it logical to create another national police thru the PC, maybe, with the hope that things could restart with a clean slate, via indoctrination and redirection. But there could...

The proposal to reduce the rate of the Philippine income tax is now a pending bill for legislation. There are various version of the bill but all are aimed at slashing the Individual income tax and the corporate income tax from its current rate of 32 percent and 30 percent respectively. At a glance, the move is a welcome development and may be recognize as a pleasant milestone in history of taxation. But is it? The initial package of reforms, the first of 4, includes the restructuring of the personal income tax system and the expansion of the value added tax (VAT) base by reducing the coverage of its exemptions, the DOF said in a statement. The maximum rate of personal income tax will be reduced over time to 25% from the current 32%, except for the  highest income earners . Also included in the package is raising  fuel excise tax , and restructuring the excise tax on automobiles with exceptions for buses, trucks, cargo vans, jeeps, jeepney substitutes, and s...

Once again, the failure of representation in the Philippines had manifested itself from the malaise called democracy. A government of the people, for the people and by the people is the preeminence of democratic principle that has remained elusive and beyond reach since the birth of the Philippine Republic.  Almost always, and not only in the Philippines, the poignant reality is that this cherished democratic principle had always veered away towards a subtle form of socialism due perhaps to its incompatibility with the domineering and pervasive culture that is inherent in a capitalist society. The democratic principle that is well esteemed had stagnated   into a mere theory of idealism that seems to approximate the qualities of a myth. In practice, it is actually a government… of some of the people…for some of the people…and by some of the people. When democracy promotes equality in freedom, what resulted is equality in misery. As democracy prided itself to be the champi...