HOLDING ON TO the long-eschewed concept of “might is right” in international relations, and ignoring Pope Leo IV’s appeal to stop the worldwide carnage, the US-Israel war machine, even as it mercilessly commits genocide in Gaza, continues to violate the UN Charter and International Law, with its unprovokedbombing attacks on Iran’s sovereignty last February 28, 2026. And it continues its bombings on Tehran, having assassinated early on Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni, followed up with the killings of other top officials.
In retaliation in defense of its sovereign rights, Iran, with its new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khameni, has been launching its own missile attacks, targetingspecific US Miliary bases, housed in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Quatar, Iraq and other Middle Eastcountries. International Human Rights Groups have declared the US-Israel sustained attacks as amounting to “War Crimes.”
Countless civilians have been killed, millions displaced from their homes and desperately seeking relief from hunger, homelessness and lack of medical attention.
Worse, the critical free movement of goods and services around the world has been severely disrupted.The free flow of oil that has fueled the economies of countries around the globe has created instability in most nations.
‘Countless civilians have been killed, millions displaced from their homes and desperately seeking relief from hunger, homelessness and lack of medical attention. Worse, the critical free movement of goods and services around the world has been severely disrupted.’
FACING THE WORSE CRISIS
The International Energy Agency has warned “the world could be facing the worse energy crisis in history.”
The Philippines, naturally, could not escape this ongoing worldwide disaster.
How has the Marcos-Duterte administration been coping with this global chaos, to save the Filipino people from suffering the disruptions and problems in their daily lives?
The Filipino people have been harping almost daily in the streets on accountability of public officials involved in the widespread corruption in the flood control projects. Identified suspects include ex-DPWH secretaries Samuel Bonoan and Mark Villar, and senators Joel Villanueva, Joseph Estrada, former Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla, and many other DPWH officials.
Resigned Congressman Zaldy Co, who has implicated former speaker Martin Romualdez in the flood control mess, is still enjoying his freedom abroad.
Also called out for accountability are alleged violations of Comelec election laws by senators Chiz Escudero and Rodante Marcoleta.
Still in people’s minds in calling for accountability isthe impeachment of VP Sara Duterte for her betrayal of public trust, unexplained spending of more than P600 million, public call for the assassination of Pres. Bongbong Marcos and her First Lady Liza Araneta,and other serious crimes.
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
Rising prices, especially of oil, and of basic food items, have led jeepney associations and other transport groups, to launch protest strikes, calling for urgent solutions to the oil crisis.
While jeepney drivers and other transport groups have asked for increased fares, commuters have demanded, in turn, retention of current fares.
Human Rights Violations have persisted, given the government’s continuing support of the notorious National Task Force to End Local Communist Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), which has been illegally red-tagging activists and reformist groups helping marginalized communities, resulting in harassments, illegal arrests, detentions, enforced disappearances and killings.
More than 770 political prisoners are still languishing in jails waiting for justice. The widespread poverty and social injustices that has plagued Philippine society for decades continue to inflict much suffering to millions of poor/marginalized Filipinos.
In a nutshell, can the Filipino people hope, with confidence, that the brains of President Bongbong Marcos along with the presumed expertise of his current Cabinet Secretaries and allies in both houses of Congress make sense out of this global chaos, and provide realistic intelligent solutions to the myriad problems specific to the country, so that stability in the country’s politics and economy will be achieved soonest?