THE PHILIPPINES’ FORUM FOR INTERNATIONAL READERS SINCE 1981
September 25-October 15, 2016 Vol. XXXIV No. 25
STILL IN STORES
www.expatphilippines.ph
Newspaper
Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad, who was held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf Group, on board a private plane following his release from captivity. He was handed over by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) to the government in Jolo, Sulu last Sept. 18 Photo courtesy of SIMEON CELI/ PPD
Checks and dalliances
Will the legislative department’s series of hearings ever amount to anything beyond entertainment value? By TIMOTHY JAY IBAY
T
he general public has, as usual, been captivated by the circus that is Philippine politicking. While frequently under the guise of the administration versus the opposition, if you’ve observed how things are done in the country for long enough, you would understand that there are no real political parties – only political aspirations and interests. And for decades, the Filipino people have continued to rabidly consume their farce. Never mind that it’s akin to a poorly written, comically bad version of House of Cards – with the populace continuing to suffer as cyclical destabilization forces rehash its machinations in the fickle power struggle between rival businesses and political interests.
Human wrongs Rookie Senator and former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima is now facing the brunt of the administration’s salvo. After leading a Senate inquiry into the rash of “extrajudicial killings” (EJK) – a direct result of President Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs” – she now finds herself in the midst of an unforgiving onslaught with the President questioning her morality due to her supposed dalliance with her driver, and powerful convicts and imprisoned drug lords accusing her of receiving payouts for allowing the drug trade to flourish inside the walls of the New Bilibid Prison. Amidst the Ad Hominem attacks, the real issue of EJK has taken a backseat, and the
inevitable fostering of the culture of impunity that comes with it continues on its dangerous ascent on a most slippery slope. Duterte’s vice presidential running mate Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano likened the Philippines’ peace and order situation to Singapore; this while his President has declared the country under a “state of lawlessness.” In this latest mini-series, the question is which side will come out on top when the last personal attack has been broadcast. The certainty is that the Filipino people have again been robbed of a government that will focus on addressing their many immediate concerns and needs. page 3
New cybercrime threats haunt biz world By RICHARD RAMOS
A
s if today’s business and industry stakeholders don’t have enough problems with stiff competition, uncertain business climate, huge turnover, and even political instability, they also have to contend with more unexpected forms of business models that can undermine the target company’s financial standing before they know it. The “Uberization” of the industry has given rise to the rise of a new-age invader with a completely different business model that enters the industry and disrupts the normal business operations of a company by way of new technologies and changing customer behavior. The threats According to Luis Pineda, president and country general manager of page 3 IBM Philippines, these two va-