Episode 23: Bayanihan federalism by stealth or initiative

One of the crucial factors in determining whether charter change will succeed or not is the public’s perception regarding the motives behind it. Are its proponents really sincere in bringing about much needed change for ordinary Filipinos, or are they simply looking out for their own interests?

We’re going to examine the case for federalism in the country. Is it justified? Or is it just a cover for unwinding the democratic system of checks and balances that were painstakingly restored over three decades ago.

Episode 22: Is Federalism fizzling out...or just getting started?

Following the resounding victory of his coalition at the midterm polls, the enigmatic Pres. Rodrigo Duterte seemed to back away from his campaign pledge to push for federalism. But are his statements to be taken at face value, or are they simply a way for him to spark a debate on the issue and incite those in favour of charter change to come out in support of it?

Recall that when he was considering a run for the presidency, he declined to be drafted several times. Was it a way for him to gauge the public’s sentiment in support of his candidacy? We know he eventually decided to run, and many said he had already made up his mind long before then. Is he working off the same playbook here? Is he gauging the public’s appetite once again, this time in favour of federalism?

Hi, I’m Doy Santos, and on this edition of The Cusp, we’re going to look at the push for federalism, and answer the question, Is Federalism fizzling out, or is it just getting started?

Episode 16: Mahathir's Malaysia and the virtues of a parliamentary system

Malaysian PM Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad's visit to Manila in March 2019 has inevitably led some people to draw comparisons between the two nations. Malaysia follows a federal parliamentary system while the Philippines is unitary and presidential. They have reached a level of economic progress that the Philippines can only aspire to. How did they do it?

In this podcast we look at key differences between the two systems, and try to answer the question, would a shift to a parliamentary system benefit the Philippines. We avoid the chicken-and-egg question of what should come first: culture change or structural change? We do this by differentiating the incentives under either system and show how that shapes behavior and eventually the culture.

Read the transcripts of the show here.

SEC's Ruling on Rappler

The revocation of Rappler's certificate of incorporation by the Securities and Exchange Commission is contained in SEC Resolution 437, Series of 2017 dated 8 July 2017.

Central to the decision was whether Rappler had ceded control over the corporate policy and management of the company to a foreign party. The Philippine constitution requires mass media companies to be wholly owned by Filipinos.

Rappler was found by the SEC en banc to be in breach of the Anti-Dummy Act, the Mass Media Law, and the Foreign Investments Act.

Towards a well-informed public debate over this latest controversy involving the media outfit, the SEC's decision in its entirety is found below. The document may also be accessed on the SEC's archive of decisions for 2018 here.

Episode 5: Can Duterte avoid the pitfalls of Marcos? Part 1

Pres. Duterte imposed Martial Law in Mindanao in May 2017. Observers drew many parallels with Pres. Marcos' own proclamation in September 1971. While many regard Duterte as a dictator in the mold of Marcos, The Cusp examines their similarities as well as their differences, and asks whether Duterte can avoid the pitfalls of Marcos.