IN A LAND THAT LEADS THE WORLD IN JOURNALIST DEATHS ALMOST EVERY YEAR, CRITICISM CAN ONLY BE LABLED amadomacasaet@yahoo

By Kevin Stoda, in the Philippines

I was perusing national newspapers this past weekend came across a section called the "Business Circuit" in the THE MALAYA BUSINESS INSIGHT. In four short vignettes or stories the author, unnamed (but using the email address of amadomacasaet@yahoo.com ) detailed the status of political-economic development in the Philippines, nearly 25 years after the last dictator of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos had been kicked out of office.

The political context of the set of four vignettes--i.e. for modern Philippines neophytes--is that the newly-elected president of the country, "Noynoy" Aquino is the son of the woman who helped oust Ferdinand Marcos and his cronies from office in 1986, the late Corazon Aquino. (Noynoy's father had been assassinated by Marcos less than three years earlier.) Noynoy has promised not to raise taxes this year. Instead, Aquino promises to pay down Philippine's recent debt through hitting down hard on corruption and tax-dodgers.

Under the last two presidents in the Philippines, the murder rate on reporters and journalists has gone up drastically and a great majority of the population of the country has grown to have next-to-know faith in political promises, i.e. as whistle-blowers have seldom been supported in government.

Will Noynoy be any different?

PROTECTION IS BIG MONEY

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