Should we let ‘bloggers’ report from Malacañang?

Oscar Franklin Tan 08/14/2017

Singapore — PCOO Dept. Order No. 15 allows any “social media practitioner” with 5,000 followers to be granted similar access as journalists. But audiences decide what is bought in the marketplace of ideas, not such rules. “Bloggers”…

Should everything from college to Wi-Fi be free?

Oscar Franklin Tan 08/07/2017

Singapore—Do we have a political democracy, a free market economy but a socialist mindset? Does making everything free destroy the things worth paying for? As a University of the Philippines alumnus, I believe education is a constitutional…

Grab, Uber can’t violate rules no one can follow

Oscar Franklin Tan 07/31/2017

Jakarta — “We cannot have one rule regarding colorum for [Transport Network Vehicle Services (TNVS)] and another rule for… bus, UV express, taxi and PUJ,” declared Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chair Martin Delgra III.…

Media, Leonen win martial law extension

Oscar Franklin Tan 07/24/2017

  Jakarta — Media misframing of the martial law debate and its hyping of Justice Marvic Leonen’s dissent clearly won martial law’s extension. The letters on the sides of news reports on Congress’ joint session last July…

Can Frank Underwood extend martial law?

Oscar Franklin Tan 07/17/2017

  (Warning: Season 6 spoilers!) This is President Francis J. Underwood. SWS reported your resounding 57-percent approval of my Season 6 trailer. After my war on terror’s paranoia, placing your banana republic under martial law again will…

Leonen’s baseless anti-martial law dissent

Oscar Franklin Tan 07/10/2017

  Jakarta — Many were “shookt” by Justice Marvic Leonen’s dissent — before the Lagman decision was out! — because only he argued martial law is invalid even in Marawi City. Some headlines dubbed Leonen the “lone…

Solicitor General Calida revokes martial law

Oscar Franklin Tan 06/19/2017

  Solicitor General Jose Calida answered Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio that if martial law were a sentence, it would end with an exclamation point instead of a period. This was the legal bombshell of the decade.…

Martial law and the failure of law

Oscar Franklin Tan 06/12/2017

Singapore—When #PrayForMarawi trended the day after martial law, I encouraged young Muslims to write. Two years ago, an Inquirer guest column linked acid throwing and Shari’ah law, despite the glaring lack of acid throwing here. Unlike the…

Should opinion columns be shorter?

Oscar Franklin Tan 10/10/2016

  Inverness, United Kingdom — Inquirer opinion columns are now 30 percent shorter after the grand redesign. But in the age of smartphones, one has long been compelled to write shorter and punchier. Fellow columnists immediately sent…

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