No More Mr. Tough Guy?

President Rodrigo Duterte is known worldwide for his no-holds barred, tough-talking persona. He ordered his police force to show no mercy to drug dealers, he tells his military to be relentless against insurgents and even threatened corrupt members of the bureaucracy with death if they do not straighten up. Now, all that tough-talking seems to […]

Returning the “Force” in Air Force

There used to be a running joke that the Philippine Air Force (PAF) was “all air” and “no force” – a jibe at the fact that the country’s air defense arsenal is among the weakest in the world. Since 2005 the PAF has relied on the use of their helicopter fleet, with not a single jet-engine […]

The Chinese are Laughing

The Chinese military general and philosopher Sun Tzu once said, “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” Indeed war brings out casualties from both sides of the divide and one may argue that in warfare, there is no real victor. But if one was to overcome his adversaries without firing […]