Category Archives: Government

Maria Ressa Changes Her Tune!

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Convicted Rappler CEO and Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa is finally changing her tune and is now singing happy songs!

Although her online news blog Rappler has consistently referred to Bongbong Marcos as the “son of a dictator” during the last Philippine presidential campaign, Ressa seems to be warming up quickly to the current Malacañang occupant.

While she had stubbornly accused the (Rodrigo) Duterte government of weaponizing the law to curtail press freedom, she now says there is a “lifting of fear” under Marcos, even among journalists.

While she had described the Philippines as the worst war zone she’s ever been in, Ressa now sees a bright future for foreign and local investments in the country.

While she had previously proclaimed to the world that Democracy is dad in the Philippines, she now acknowledges that the court system actually works in the country.

If and when the Philippine Supreme Court decides to overturn her cyber libel conviction, will Ressa finally sing George Frideric Handel’s “Halleluja?”

But what if the high court upholds her conviction? Will she write a sequel to her book, “Standing Up To A Dictator?” Will she and Rappler continue to hold the line?

Philippine Senator Cynthia Villar Chosen Top Research Fellow At Stanford University This Fall!

SAN FRANCISCO, California (The Adobo Chronicles, San Francisco Bureau) – The American Institutes for Research (AIR) Board of Trustees has unanimously chosen Philippine Senator Cynthia Villar as its top International Research Fellow this fall. She will be attending Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.

AIR has expressed deep concern over Villar’s seeming bias against research and it hopes that educating her would change all that.

Villar has repeatedly expressed her disdain about government agencies seeking research funding from the Senate. She had questioned why officials are so crazy about research, especially in the field of agriculture.

AIR and Stanford told The Adobo Chronicles that they are hopeful their choice of Villar as their top international fellow would totally change her attitude about research.

AIR also said whatever she would learn from her fellowship is also applicable for her family real estate business because research is key in identifying potential subdivision sites and their impact on the environment and the economy.

Villar will be on official leave from the Senate during her three-month internship at Stanford.

Iskolar Ng Bayan Soon To Be A Thing Of The Past?

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Philippine Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno today said that free college education is unsustainable.

This sent chills to students of state colleges, including those from University of the Philippines, who enjoy state-sponsored education while actively engaging in walkouts, rallies and protests against the very government that pays for their tuition.

Filipino taxpayers have long frowned at funding these Iskolar ng Bayan (state scholars), saying that paying for diploma and latin honor mills is not the best use of the people’s taxes.

Will Iskolar ng Bayan soon to be a thing of the past?