Activist and former two-term member of the Philippine House of Representatives. Blogging since 2004 at mongster's nest. Joined Global Voices in 2006.
Latest posts by Mong Palatino
How Vietnam’s state trolls are undermining free speech and democracy
"We urge Meta to cross check systematically all reporting on human rights NGOs pages such as Viet Tan to avoid falling in trolls’ trap."
Malaysian police probe women’s march organizers for pro-LGBTQ+ posters
"In the last 3 years, there has been a resounding lack of movement by our government to protect and preserve the rights of women and other marginalised genders."
Filipino drivers hold jeepney strike against the government’s phaseout plan
"The fight of drivers and operators also belongs to the people. Drivers will have no jeepneys to use. Millions will have to endure the lack of access to affordable transportation.
Pacific voices call for urgent global climate action
Several initiatives highlight stories, narratives, and art performances that articulate the appeal of Pacific Island nations for a more decisive global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Papua New Guinea’s proposed policy could lead to government control of the press
"(The government) can run media organisations to bring its own message out, but it should never exert control over the entire industry."
Cambodia’s prime minister revokes license of independent news outlet Voice of Democracy
"We believe that the closure of VOD would represent a grave step backwards for both press freedoms and the rule of law in Cambodia."
Former refugee Behrouz Boochani's ‘surreal’ experience in Australia's parliament
"It was very surreal for me to be in a place that for years I criticised from the offshore prisons."
Myanmar media two years after the 2021 coup: ‘Resistance, resilience, restoration’
"The international community must renew its commitment to Myanmar and protect and defend the courageous journalists who are risking their lives to report on the regime’s ongoing human rights abuses.”
Amid fears of contamination, Japan will soon dump treated water from Fukushima Nuclear Plant into the Pacific
"(The plan) shows direct disregard for the sovereignty and self-determination of Pacific peoples and the ocean their livelihoods depend upon."
Cambodia bans music video of police attacking workers in 2014
"It is LICADHO’s belief that the music video is not incitement, and is protected speech under the Cambodian Constitution. We are saddened by this restriction on freedom of expression."
Thailand’s new ministerial decree could further suppress free speech online
The new decree is “another tool of control for the authorities to silence critical dissent, and a reflection of the digital dictatorship in Thailand.”
Filipino activists decry Facebook’s ‘automated censorship’
The removal of posts “exposes how the so-called community standards of Facebook are arbitrarily invoked to silence activists and revolutionaries.”
China’s Belt and Road Initiative divides the Pacific
Global Voices Southeast Asia and Oceania editor Mong Palatino reviews the impact of China's economic and diplomatic expansion in the Pacific.
This online game exposes the dangers of deep-sea mining
"Help the residents of the deep defend their home. Play GAME OVER and discover the enormous risks involved in deep sea mining."
Released foreigners share their prison experiences in Myanmar
"I'd like to emphasize the fact the most vulnerable have been victimized by the military, which is still going on."
Australia’s World Cup team urges better treatment of migrants and LGBTQ+ individuals in Qatar
Australian football players participating in the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar have released a powerful video highlighting human rights abuses for workers and the LGBTQ+ community in the host country
Thousands mourn the death of West Papua independence activist Filep Karma
"He was first of all a frontline leader, present at every single protest, reassuring and inspiring all West Papuans who marched or prayed with him."
Guns and Kung Fu: Australia and China help militarize the Solomon Islands’ police force
"In these times of hyper-geopolitical competition, the arming of police forces with assault weapons could result in dangerous outcomes in the future."
‘Stop the Killing’ campaign seeks to abolish the death penalty in Singapore
"The death penalty has no place in a caring and just society, which many Singaporeans desire."
Student-run press in Thailand offered money by Chinese investor to stop operating
"Despite the incidents, we carry on with our tasks. We condemn every means used by authorities to harass and manipulate the challengers."
Citizen journalists face challenges in Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar
"To provide coverage of the protests, citizen journalists stepped up do the job themselves. The result was a truer coverage of events."
