5/6/2022

2022 Philippine Elections Comes Down to the Son of a Dictator vs. Current VP

On Monday, May 9th, Filipino voters are heading to the polls for an anticipated 2022 Presidential election. Over 67M people are eligible voters, and election results could be announced within a few hours the polls close. The frontrunner is Bongbong Marcos, the son of a former ousted dictator. Former President Marcos Sr. declared martial law that lasted for seven years in his 20-year presidential term. According to Amnesty International, Marcos Sr. used the army and the police to arrest, torture, and murder civilians. Marcos Jr.’s running mate is the daughter of the current president. The distant second frontrunner is Leni Robredo, the current Vice President, and a human rights lawyer. She is the strongest critic of the current president among the running candidates, and her current stance is to end political corruption. Marcos will likely leverage his family’s legacy and influence to consolidate political power in his favor. Meanwhile Vice President Robredo will appeal to liberal-leaning voters focusing on education, healthcare poverty, and gender equality.

5/6/2022

2022 Philippine Elections Comes Down to the Son of a Dictator vs. Current VP

On Monday, May 9th, Filipino voters are heading to the polls for an anticipated 2022 Presidential election. Over 67M people are eligible voters, and election results could be announced within a few hours the polls close. The frontrunner is Bongbong Marcos, the son of a former ousted dictator. Former President Marcos Sr. declared martial law that lasted for seven years in his 20-year presidential term. According to Amnesty International, Marcos Sr. used the army and the police to arrest, torture, and murder civilians. Marcos Jr.’s running mate is the daughter of the current president. The distant second frontrunner is Leni Robredo, the current Vice President, and a human rights lawyer. She is the strongest critic of the current president among the running candidates, and her current stance is to end political corruption. Marcos will likely leverage his family’s legacy and influence to consolidate political power in his favor. Meanwhile Vice President Robredo will appeal to liberal-leaning voters focusing on education, healthcare poverty, and gender equality.

Watch more

After 10 Years In Hiding, Salman Rushdie Stabbed On Stage

Salman Rushdie, author of ‘The Satanic Verses and ‘Midnight’s Children’’, is fighting life-changing injuries to his heart, liver, and eyes after being repeatedly stabbed on-stage while giving a lecture. While the suspect, 24-year-old Hadi Matar, was just indicted by a grand jury on Thursday August 18, he told the New York Post that his motivation came from Rushdie’sattacks on Islam and its beliefs. Rushdie’s controversial 1988 novel left Muslims feeling outraged and that the book’s author was claiming verses of the Qur’an were “the work of the Devil”. ‘Satanic Verses’ is a phrase unknown to Muslims, and coined by Orientalist Western academics who were specializing in the study of cultures considered Eastern. Rushdie’s title immediately sparked protest because it refers to a legend about Prophet Muhammad that both Sunni and Shiite Muslims believe are fabricated by idolators. Rushdie’s book was also considered offensive because it portrayed weakness in the Prophet Muhammad, and Muslims felt that Rushdie was questioning Muhammad’s credibility as the messenger of God. The book was banned in many parts of the world, including Iran, India and Pakistan, and former Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini even issued a fatwa - or decree - calling for his death. Though the Iranian government has since separated itself from the fatwa, the price on Rushdie’s head recently increased to over $3M. For nearly a decade, the award-winning author went into hiding and lived under police protection, though in recent years became more lax about this, even venturing outside without bodyguard protection at times. Now, the outspoken defender of writers’ freedom of expression is living openly in New York, and once again at the center of free speech debate in literature.

Watch more

X

Trailer

2022 Philippine Elections Comes Down to the Son of a Dictator vs. Current VP