I had to fly to Manila to play in the Aboitiz Media Golf on Tuesday, hence I had to do an advance column, which means, I cannot talk about the first State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo "Digong" Duterte. Anyway, I'm sure that you can read that report in the front page of this newspaper or in the national newspapers.

The long wait is over.

The public can finally gain greater access to government documents, including Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) of government officials, after President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the historic on Freedom of Information (FOI) as promised.

ABOUT five years ago I visited General Joe Almonte in his office in Greenhills. I told him about the plans of my young Philippine Centrist friends to set up a principled Centrist Democratic Party with the purpose of overcoming the patronage system with all the misery it brings to the Filipinos. His spontaneous reaction: “Peter, you must be crazy! Do you know what you are up against?” I asked: “OK, but what other options do you have to overcome the hardening poverty, failing judicial system, violence, impunity, lack of perspectives for the young people?”