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3 weeks ago | 
chinausfocus.com | Richard Javad Heydarian
2025 has brought swift changes across the Indo-Pacific, and the Philippines’ growing involvement with Trump’s policies and the Taiwan question could prove to be one of the most pivotal factors in the future of the region.
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3 weeks ago | 
opinion.inquirer.net | Richard Javad Heydarian
A prince must acquire the nature of both; if he possesses the qualities of one without the other, he will be lost,” early-Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli counseled half a millennium ago. “Therefore, as a prince he is obliged to know how to act like a beast, he should [both] learn from the fox and the lion,” he continued, emphasizing the dual nature of modern political virtue.
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3 weeks ago | 
plus.inquirer.net | Richard Javad Heydarian
A prince must acquire the nature of both; if he possesses the qualities of one without the other, he will be lost,” early-Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli counseled half a millennium ago. “Therefore, as a prince he is obliged to know how to act like a beast, he should [both] learn from the fox and the lion,” he continued, emphasizing the dual nature of modern political virtue.
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1 month ago | 
opinion.inquirer.net | Richard Javad Heydarian
Yes, I don’t want chaos. I want everyone to be on good terms with each other. That would be better,” President Marcos declared (in Filipino) in a wide-ranging podcast episode following the midterm elections. “I have had too many enemies, I don’t need any additional ones—what I need is friendship.” The President effectively admitted that his coalition heavily underperformed in the recent midterm elections, which were supposed to serve as a referendum on his administration.
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1 month ago | 
plus.inquirer.net | Richard Javad Heydarian
Yes, I don’t want chaos. I want everyone to be on good terms with each other. That would be better,” President Marcos declared (in Filipino) in a wide-ranging podcast episode following the midterm elections. “I have had too many enemies, I don’t need any additional ones—what I need is friendship.” The President effectively admitted that his coalition heavily underperformed in the recent midterm elections, which were supposed to serve as a referendum on his administration.
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1 month ago | 
opinion.inquirer.net | Richard Javad Heydarian
A fluid political landscape just got messier. Far from creating a decisive outcome, last week’s midterm elections created even more political uncertainty. On the surface, it was a disaster for the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration, which heavily underperformed in a couple of key races. Its allies lost in major urban areas, such as Manila, Cebu, and Baguio, while the Duterte dynasty eviscerated its Marcos-backed competition in Davao.
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1 month ago | 
plus.inquirer.net | Richard Javad Heydarian
A fluid political landscape just got messier. Far from creating a decisive outcome, last week’s midterm elections created even more political uncertainty. On the surface, it was a disaster for the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration, which heavily underperformed in a couple of key races. Its allies lost in major urban areas, such as Manila, Cebu, and Baguio, while the Duterte dynasty eviscerated its Marcos-backed competition in Davao.
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1 month ago | 
thenationalnews.com | Richard Javad Heydarian
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr casts his ballot in Batac City on Monday. Marcos Jr has three years left in office. AP
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1 month ago | 
opinion.inquirer.net | Richard Javad Heydarian
Arguably, the biggest takeaway from Philippine elections in the past decade is that our opposition didn’t have much of a takeaway from its successive defeats. In all mature democracies, besieged opposition forces are expected to engage in three fundamental actions: (1) learn to build coalitions beyond narrow cliques and electoral niches, (2) hold the line beyond and in between elections, and (3) produce a proper “postmortem” after any major electoral setback.
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1 month ago | 
plus.inquirer.net | Richard Javad Heydarian
Arguably, the biggest takeaway from Philippine elections in the past decade is that our opposition didn’t have much of a takeaway from its successive defeats. In all mature democracies, besieged opposition forces are expected to engage in three fundamental actions: (1) learn to build coalitions beyond narrow cliques and electoral niches, (2) hold the line beyond and in between elections, and (3) produce a proper “postmortem” after any major electoral setback.
