In Context Archives - CMFR

Misplaced optimism about Omicron

THE FIRST week of 2022 saw the steady rise in the number of COVID-19 cases and the looming threat of the Omicron variant. Perhaps in an attempt to calm and comfort the public, some news reports carried a scientist's claim that tried to look at the bright side. ...

Petitions vs. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Candidacy: What the Experts Say

SHAPING UP as one of the most dramatic elections in Philippine history, the presidential race for 2022 has been hounded by controversy starting with the filing of certificates of candidacy (COC). A mere procedure, this step has been the object of political maneuvering and more.

All in the family: Philippine politics at its worst

IF IT is any indication of what’s to come in May 2022, political families and warring factions hogging the spotlight now will serve as key players, once again sidelining those who really matter most during the exercise: the voting public.

Cautionary truths on the “decline” of COVID numbers

AT THE risk of being a spoil sport, CMFR is asking the media to provide the necessary context to the government’s determination to relax COVID restrictions.

Under-reported and continuing: A pattern of police violence against quarantine violators

IN OCTOBER 2021 alone, media reported several cases of extortion and rape involving the police when dealing with persons supposedly in violation of curfew and other quarantine restrictions. But the pervasive and persistent violence of the state against citizens remains underreported in the media.

Lost in a loophole: The legality of premature campaigning in the current election law

ELECTION FEVER has spread months before the official filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) from October 1 to 8. Eight months prior, posters and tarpaulins bearing political faces and slogans have flooded ad spaces anywhere available. As early as August, political aspirants had already purchased primetime blocks for their...

Meaning of COVID Numbers Lost in DOH Bulletins

AS THE number of COVID-19 cases rise and fall, the bulletins released by the Department of Health (DOH) no longer have real value. Sharp spikes and slides are left largely unexplained except to point out the failure of laboratories to turn in their test results on time.

The Philippine crisis in education

THE PANDEMIC threw education off course all around the world. But some have fared better than others. In the Philippines, it is a loss so profound as to cast doubts on how the schools can get back on track. The country had already been singled out among those where...

A Timeline of State Hostility towards Healthcare Workers

CELEBRATED BY the public as heroes, our healthcare workers have cared for the sick and saved lives, standing guard on the frontlines against COVID-19 from the earliest stages of the outbreak. The number of fatalities among medical workers made headlines in the first few months when the lack of...

Sport lang tayo: Serious funding needed

MONDAY AFTER the Tokyo Olympics closed, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque was quick to claim credit for the country’s best Olympic campaign yet, saying that it was “no coincidence” that it happened under the Duterte administration.

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