Public Lives

The sociology of corruption

In sociology, corruption has a straightforward definition. When it involves government officials and employees, corruption…

A pastor for the peripheries

A pastor for the peripheries—a shepherd for the lost, the least, the vulnerable, and the…

The unending tragedy in the Middle East

It’s unclear what the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which had governed Gaza under a precarious…

The unraveling of a corrupt enabling system     

When, against all expectations, Rodrigo Duterte won the presidential elections in 2016, people wondered how…

A truth commission on Duterte’s war on drugs

Whether intended or not, the ongoing hearings in both houses of Congress are doing exactly…

How TikTok is shaping politics 

Like many who believe that what happens in American politics today is bound to have…

The pain of the privileged

So many things are happening in the political scene that it has become increasingly difficult…

A lesson on the politics of ‘utang na loob’

Not a few were startled when Vice President Sara Duterte suddenly accused Sen. Risa Hontiveros…

The significance of Ninoy Aquino’s assassination

Forty-one years have passed since former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. was brazenly murdered at…

It’s not unlawful, but is it right?

Not many are aware of it, except maybe for some well-informed election lawyers and their…