activist and 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
14 October 2019
Thai judge shoots himself in court after alleging political interference in courtroom decisions
"Return rulings to judges. Return justice to people....My statements might hold weight as light as a feather, but a judge’s heart must be as firm as a mountain."
7 October 2019
Filipino teachers hold protest as presidential promise of salary increase remains unfulfilled
"It is now more than three years that Duterte is the President and still the promise of salary increase for teachers is illusive."
4 October 2019
Lilly Satidtanasarn, the 12-year-old taking on plastic pollution in Thailand
"Adults think I’m doing homework or a school project. They didn’t take me seriously but I kept emailing them and now they take me seriously."
25 September 2019
A snapshot of climate strikes across Southeast Asia
The protest actions in Southeast Asia highlighted various issues such as the impact of large-scale mining, haze pollution, and continuing dependence on fossil fuels.
19 September 2019
Yale-NUS college draws criticism in Singapore after canceling a class on ‘dialogue and dissent’
"If we cannot make space and listen to the person that says no, then democracy dies. It’s that fundamental."
15 September 2019
Filipino community radio stations struggle to survive amid attacks and difficulties
"If the marginalized are underserved by the mass media establishment, they must be allowed to be their own voice."
9 September 2019
Singapore prime minister sues independent news website for defamation
The prime minister is suing The Online Citizen over an article that tackled the leader’s public feud with his siblings.
23 August 2019
Hong Kong protests through the eyes of a Filipino migrant worker
How have the rallies in Hong Kong affected the lives of Filipino migrant workers? What are their thoughts about the protests?
20 August 2019
Tonga threatens to ban Facebook over anti-monarchy posts
"By trying to impose a ban the government will simply make itself look foolish or ineffective."
15 August 2019
On activism and the self
"Behind the instagrammable image of the fierce-looking individual with a clenched fist is a person who is constantly rationalizing and reaffirming their fidelity to radical politics."
11 August 2019
Cambodia reduces number of public holidays to attract jobs, but activists are concerned it could undermine democracy
"Omitting the Paris Peace Agreement and Human Rights days from the public-holiday list reflects that the government is unwilling to promote democracy any longer."
30 July 2019
New book presents rarely researched aspects of Myanmar's political and media transition
"But as many of the contributors noted, while the space for expression did open up, the threats against journalists and activists did not reduce."
21 July 2019
Philippine vice president and other Duterte critics charged with sedition
"The charges are meant to silence and persecute human rights lawyers, opposition leaders, and the church, and to send a message to anyone who dares to criticize this administration."
17 July 2019
Cambodian activists arrested for commemorating the anniversary of political analyst Kem Ley's death
"The accusation that a peaceful gathering merits a prison sentence is a serious and systematic threat to the little remaining space left for freedom of expression in the country."
15 July 2019
#MeToo in Myanmar: Two documentaries on how the global movement has inspired women to speak out
A major challenge in advancing women’s welfare is resisting feudal thinking like the concept of hpon which promotes the supposed superiority and positive spiritually of men over women.
5 July 2019
French expat forced to apologize for making a music video which mocks the Thai junta
"…criticizing a government and a regime does not equate to hating a country. I love Thailand, I just don't love dictators and military coups."
27 June 2019
What will it take to combat digital authoritarianism in Southeast Asia?
"Applied to the Philippines and the rest of Southeast Asia, digital authoritarianism refers to how the internet has been weaponized in aid of existing authoritarian regimes."
22 June 2019
New documentary explores the roots of Myanmar’s persecution of the Rohingya community
"I wish people in Myanmar see this film, since it is not only about Rohingya, it is about all ethnic minorities, who have faced persecution for years."
25 May 2019
Papua New Guinea PM pushes proposal for social media regulation, citing need to stop ‘fake news’
"The fact is you can't control platforms were information is circulated, attempts to do such undermines the role of democracy and freedom that is enshrined under the constitution."
15 May 2019
Singapore parliament approves ‘anti-fake news’ law — will this curtail free speech?
The law gives broad, unchecked powers to government ministers to determine what online information is "false" and should thus be censored or corrected.
