Archive - Editor's Pick

It’s an uneasy calm around Taal volcano almost a week after it spewed enormous ashes that blanketed surrounding towns forcing thousands of families to flee to ash-covered but safer grounds.

Other than giving Oplan Tokhang defenders some brownie points to crow about in the eyes of their supporters, Jude Sabio's withdrawal of his communication does nothing to the preliminary examination being carried out by ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s office.

Residents of Batangas were startled when the Taal, which has been quiet for more than four decades - suddenly rumbled and spewed ashes that enveloped nearby towns and cities, reaching as far as Quezon City and Antipolo.

Vice President Leni Robredo criticized the government’s lack of “reliable” data in its campaign against illegal drugs as she expressed alarm that it is “not able to distinguish the users from pushers.”

A statement issued on New Year’s Day by the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs against alleged Chinese encroachments over the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Natunas may prove to be a diplomatic and legal game changer in the increasingly volatile South China Sea.

In 2019, quote cards were the most preferred format to spread online disinformation followed by videos and full-text articles as tracked by Vera Files in its fact-check project with Facebook. Duterte critics were the usual targets of viral fake quotes, with Vice President Leni Robredo on top of the list.

Information about cures for cancers, and dengue reach online audiences in the millions. This year, the country faced a dengue epidemic and polio outbreak, while coronary heart disease and cancer continue to take Filipinos’ lives more than any other illnesses. But the public had to deal with yet another virus: the proliferation of health mis- and disinformation on social media.

The sinking of a Filipino fishing boat and the near-release of an ex-mayor convicted of rape and murder are but some of the issues that made headlines in President Rodrigo Duterte’s third year in office.

The effect of President Rodrigo Duterte’s strong personality has apparently rubbed off on people he works closely with and those who admire him. Duterte's allies mimic him, especially when talking about his government’s banner program of war on drugs and anti-corruption.

‘Wala na nga akong katawan, wala pa akong hustisya’ -- kin of Maguindanao massacre victim

Duterte’s martial law has caused profound uncertainty in the Manobo community’s life, where the possibility of violence at the hands of government forces and the painful necessity of again abandoning their homes and farms haunts every moment.

When President Rodrigo Duterte speaks, his men scramble to clarify — or they try. Sometimes, their explanation supports the president’s statements; often, it contradicts.