Hot Issue PH

Our hosts talk about House Bill 6875 or Senate Bill 1083, more commonly known as the Anti-Terrorism Bill. What are the questionable provisions that might trample upon the right to free speech? How does the bill define terrorism, and how can one be tagged as a terrorist? In the end, the hosts realize that the bill is the best terrorism bill ever and that we should be thankful for having Duterte as Philippine President. Recorded on Sunday, June 7, 2020.

On Tuesday, the 21st of April 2020, former military corporal Winston Ragos was shot to death by police in a quarantine checkpoint in Barangay Pasong Putik, Quezon City. Bystanders surrounded the scene and repeatedly shouted that Ragos was suffering from "war shock" or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our hosts talk about the important questions that this unfortunate incident brought to light. Was the police justifiable in using lethal force to subdue Ragos? What is "unlawful aggression", and why are the country's top lawyers citing it as an argument against the police operation? Does the Philippine National Police (PNP) have guidelines on when the use of force is justified? Should Ragos' mental health issues have been considered? Finally, what is the protocol for handling evidence in a crime scene, and did the PNP violate it in Ragos' case?

Lyn, Matt, and Papz wrestle with the most contested topic in Philippine social media last week: Is poverty a choice? Is it even the Philippine government's responsibility to help the poor, or wouldn't that only encourage laziness and non-ambition? But first, our hosts react to the Cabinet and Presidential address on Thursday, April 9, 2020. Is the government lying to us about how they are handling the COVID-19 crisis?

In this power-packed episode, our hosts talk about issues surrounding the Luzon-wide "enhanced community quarantine" proclaimed by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on March 16. Is it being implemented well? Is the Department of Health (DOH) being reactive instead of proactive? What's with the tone-deaf content from social media influencers, and is this a bad time to criticize the Philippine government? Recorded on Sunday, March 29, 2020, this episode is recorded via Zoom.

Last week, the Philippines witnessed a steady rise in number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, and many questions and debates on the public health system rocked the Philippine social media landscape. Is the Department of Health doing a good job of disseminating information? Is there a real public health crisis, or are Filipinos acting out of pure mass hysteria? What do we think of President Duterte's national address on Thursday, March 12? Should we just shut up and comply with the government or continue to criticize it and raise points for improvement? Join Matt, Papz, Mogsi, and newcomers Lyndon and Veronica in this episode to talk about how the Philippines reacted to coronavirus.

In this pilot episode, Matt, Papz, and Mogsi talk about the hostage taking at Greenhills Shopping Center on Monday, March 2, 2020. Was hostage taker Alchie Paray right or wrong? Should Filipinos sympathize with him, or should he be antagonized and dismissed because of his means of expression? Join us in weighing in on this issue!