LAST Monday and Tuesday, Malacañang declared the suspension of work in all government offices as well as classes in all levels in both public and private schools nationwide,

The reason for the declaration was the two - day protest and strike actions organized by PISTON against the government’s jeepney modernization program.

PISTON is the leftist organization for the transport sector. It is worth noting non- leftist jeepney transport organizations did not join in the Piston –led strike.

Minimal Effect

The effect of the strike was minimal and certainly not Metro Manila - wide much less nationwide. 

Those of…

Read more: Duterte cracks whip on erring jeepney drivers!

I feel sorry for Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, the man on whose shoulders rests the responsibility of leading the attack against a seemingly soaring crime wave in general, and Pres. Digong Duterte's war on drugs in particular. Yes, there is a "seemingly" soaring crime wave, for in actuality, crimes have appreciably been reduced since Mr. Rodrigo Roa Duterte became president last year.

So it's just logical to suppose that, without law enforcers, the incidence of crime would rise, chiefly in the hands of drunken and drugged malefactors, not to mention riding-in-tandem vigilantes, terrorists, rebels…

Read more: Bato's Frustrations

By Jose D. Escartin

The moments a government executive has enjoyed his best effectiveness are those when he mobilizes public support for his policies and programs. A corporate executive would have felt also similar enjoyment when his target customers patronize his company’s product and services.

Given the realities of political and corporate world where a political or corporate leader functions, it is to his interest that he has the means for reaching his publics and rallying their opinion. His effectiveness would substantially depend on his ability to generate public support to promote the interests he represents.

Discovering public opinion is…

Read more: Power of Public Opinion

Last week, Monday, we were greeted by the news that the satisfaction and trust ratings of President Rodrigo “Digong” Roa Duterte had fallen. These happened in the quarterly surveys of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) between the second and third quarters of this year.

Critics and the Opposition were quick to grab the above as signs that the Honeymoon with the Duterte Administration was over and that the beginning of the end had started. However, we should caution everyone to study the matter closely first before drawing such conclusions.

The SWS system subtracts the negative from the positive. Then, it…

Read more: The Power Of Rebound