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The Armed Forces of the Philippines needs to keep its eyes on the ball. While the key political families in the country are fighting for power and survival, China awaits in the wings as the unintended beneficiary of our current state of discord. It is in their interest for the Philippines to be divided at various levels and aspects; for the national government to be distracted by domestic issues, and for the general public to be agitated against its leaders. Under these circumstances, the AFP will be compelled to veer away its focus from the South China Sea again and attend to potential scenarios of domestic instability. The infighting between the Marcos and Duterte families is the current centerpiece of political discourse in the country. As the political alliance slowly broke up, we witnessed how the Dutertes “doublespeak” their way in public rallies and social media forays in trying to “incite” the AFP to break the chain of command and oust President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. From the other side of the fence, certain elements of civil society have joined the chorus of critics against the proposed national budget for 2025 and the overall quality of its governance in the country. They think a military uprising is a viable proposition, as a prelude to a “revolutionary government.” The clamor for military intervention in domestic politics is not new. The AFP as an institution is historically one of the country’s consequential “political actors,” along with our political and economic elites, civil society, religious communities, and the media. However, after the EDSA Revolution of 1986 and the series of coup d’etats in the 1990s, the AFP has embarked on a journey of redemption. From one of the most vilified institutions during the Martial Law years, it is now one of the public’s most trustworthy bureaus in the government. The security sector reform program it underwent for about three decades was intended to align the institution’s values with that of a liberal democratic society, to strengthen professionalism in the military, to wean the officer corps away from domestic politics, and to inculcate respect for human rights across the rank and file. It was not an easy journey, for interspersed in this transformation were acts of military adventurism, corruption among its top leadership, and the occasional discord in civil-military relations. There may have been a lingering distrust of the military persisting across the different administrations, perhaps causing the suppression of the AFP’s budget and capability development programs to ensure that it does not threaten their terms of office. The Dutertes may have believed they retained residual influence in the AFP, just enough to summon the military’s support when needed. President Rodrigo Duterte astutely “piggy-backed” the AFP’s preoccupation with the counterinsurgency campaign to resurrect a faltering local communist movement. He wisely used the NPAs as a convenient “bogeyman” to rally the public to his side, “ red-tagged” those opposing his policies , and securitized as much of his programs as possible. However, the AFP has calibrated its compliance to some of Duterte’s contentious national security policies. It did not buy into Duterte’s appeasement posture towards China, it has maintained the PH-US alliance despite his efforts to displace it, and it has insulated the rank and file from involvement in the controversial “ drug war .” On the other hand, the ranks of the outraged civil society , including retired members of the various uniformed services, have issued a manifesto calling on President Marcos to rectify the problems arising from the national budget bill submitted by Congress. The submission to President Marcos saw a significant budget reduction for education, public health, and defense. They may have lost faith in the way democracy in the Philippines has been bastardized, and have grown frustrated with the performance of the various institutions of government. Given these circumstances, what could be a viable way forward for the Armed Forces to help pacify a disgruntled public, to quell the idea of extralegal measures from gaining traction, and to blunt potential interference by China in domestic politics? Clearly, in the near term, the nexus of our regional and domestic security problems is the Dutertes. China will benefit from the restoration of the Dutertes to power in 2028. Considering that the presidency is the center of gravity of our national defense posture and foreign policy, we expect a return to a pro-China stance across the government, and the compromise of our maritime and economic interests in the West Philippine Sea in favor of Beijing. On the domestic front, the Dutertes are fighting for their survival, and the only path to victory available is a regime change either through a very convoluted political jujitsu or by extralegal means. Both pathways can destabilize the body politic, and distract the AFP from focusing on the problems with China at sea and in the home front. The logical move is for the AFP to cut all vestiges of its links with the Duterte family. The low-hanging fruits available are: (1) shutting down the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group, (2) transferring back the responsibility for the security of the Vice President to the General Headquarters, (3) directing the Inspector General to investigate the dysfunction in the operations of the VPSPG, (4) directing the Internal Auditor to investigate how the confidential funds received by the VPSPG was liquidated and obligated. This sends a message to China that the Dutertes are not “sacred cows” that the AFP will defer to easily; it conveys a message to the general public that it will honor the trust accorded to the institution by doing what is morally and ethically right; and, it will signal to our political personalities that the military is non-partisan and constructively neutral to the vagaries of Philippine politics. The long-term view is more problematic. Here, the recurring lament of the late General Rodolfo Biazon when he was still in active service comes to mind, and to paraphrase: “Give us institutions that the soldiers of the Republic will find worthy of fighting and dying for.” Alas, we are confronted with political dynasties that currently rule our national and local governments, narco-politicians and criminals lording over our cities and provinces, and the decline of meritocracy in politics, among others. And sadly, our voters keep electing these types of leaders into office. Perhaps, what the AFP can do is to make voter literacy and education the flagship program of its civil-military operations efforts. The AFP is facing an ethical dilemma that is not of its own making. Its prior entanglements in the past administrations compel it to avoid politics. Unfortunately, politics and its practitioners are interested in the AFP. During these times it should gently remind itself, and those with vested interests whispering in its institutional ears; that the military conforms to the guard rails placed upon it by the Constitution. And that at the end of the day, it serves and protects the interest of all the Filipino people, not just those vested with power and privilege. – Rappler.com Retired Rear Admiral Rommel Jude Ong was formerly vice commander of the Philippine Navy .MAI Capital Management Sells 4,654 Shares of State Street Co. (NYSE:STT)winph99 。

The political fallout from this development is likely to be far-reaching. With President Yoon Suk-yeol facing imminent arrest, there is a power vacuum at the highest levels of government that could lead to instability and uncertainty. The opposition parties are already calling for his resignation, while supporters of the president are expressing disbelief and disappointment at the turn of events.

It was a busy year for M&A in the creator economy. Startups in influencer marketing, talent management, and podcasting became acquisition targets. Companies also sought to expand globally by acquiring creator startups in new regions. Dozens of merger and acquisition deals were inked between companies across the creator economy in 2024. One of the most impactful sales was Publicis Groupe's purchase of Influential for $500 million , two M&A experts told Business Insider. It signaled that one of the world's largest ad holding companies viewed influencer marketing as a must-have offering. "If influencers are the new gatekeepers and authority within these digital channels, then they're going to command audiences," Chris Erwin, founder of M&A advisory firm RockWater, told BI. "Advertising revenue dollars are going to flow towards them." Goldman Sachs analysts highlighted influencer marketing spending as a primary driver of growth in the creator economy when they valued the industry at $250 billion last year. A few other clear trends emerged this year around deals. Outside influencer marketing, popular acquisition targets included talent-management firms and podcasting tech. There was also a push among non-US firms to build out creator businesses globally through purchases. Business Insider combed through data from PitchBook and Crunchbase and connected with M&A insiders to understand some of the key deals in 2024. Here are 4 takeaways from our analysis: A few noteworthy deals in this category: Marketing firm Stagwell announced in July that it had acquired the influencer-marketing agency Leaders . Canadian talent agency Dulcedo Group acquired the influencer-marketing app Node in July. The creator economy is maturing globally. Several companies made strategic deals across markets like India, Japan, and Australia. Publicis highlighted Influential's global reach in its July announcement around the deal. "Creators really can be global from day one," said Ollie Forsyth, a former senior manager at the investment firm Antler who now writes the newsletter New Economies. He pointed to technologies like AI-powered audio dubbing and video editing tools as paving a new path for creators to easily distribute content to a global audience. A few noteworthy deals in this category: French influencer firm Ykone announced in March it had acquired a majority stake in the Indian influencer-marketing firm Barcode to build a business in the Indian influencer market. Finnish influencer firm Boksi announced in February that it had acquired the German influencer-marketing company the Influencer GmbH to grow its business in Central Europe. Podcasting is a hot category. As platforms like YouTube and Spotify drive listenership (and viewership) of longer content, advertisers are paying close attention. US ad spend for podcasts is expected to hit $2.28 billion this year, a roughly 16% increase from 2023, per EMARKETER's forecast. Meanwhile, M&A deals in the category focused on podcasting tech and IP in 2024. "It's a publisher play of rolling up these popular networks of shows," said James Creech, an M&A advisor through Quartermast Advisors and founder of Creator Economy Jobs . "I think that'll continue because you're likely to see a handful of winners in this space." A few noteworthy deals in this category: Triton Digital said in March it had acquired podcasting ad tech firm Sounder to boost its targeting and brand safety tech. Night announced in April that it had acquired The Roost , a podcast network that includes shows from Theo Von and other popular creators. A few noteworthy deals in this category: Talent-management firm Wasserman announced in September that it had acquired the talent-management agency Long Haul to grow its gaming and sports creator business. Influencer marketing and creator talent company Whalar announced in October it had acquired the influencer-management firm Sixteenth. Looking ahead to 2025 Both Erwin and Creech are expecting the next year to be fruitful for creator-economy companies. "We're going to see more activity next year," Creech said. One area the two M&A advisors are watching closely is whether consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies will continue to shop for creator-owned businesses, such as Hershey buying creator Maxx Chewning's Sour Strips brand in 2024. Companies that successfully raised new funding in 2024 may also signal where M&A activity is heading next in the industry. Creator startups with unique offerings in artificial intelligence, newsletter tech, influencer marketing, and e-commerce all drew in investor dollars in the past year. Among the big rounds were creator-marketing platform Agentio, newsletter app Beehiiv, social-shopping app Flip, and AI firm ElevenLabs. Startups flush with funding could become acquirers in 2025. "If you are looking to sell or to raise capital now, it's a good time to do it," Erwin said.Tech Giant at a Crossroads. Can Nvidia Navigate Global Challenges?

In conclusion, the partnership between Ricoh China, PConline, and Lock Park to launch the "Chase Green Movement" represents a significant step forward in the evolution of hybrid workspaces. By combining their expertise and resources, these organizations are paving the way for a more sustainable and socially responsible future of work.N'DJAMENA - Chad voted in a general election on Sunday that the government had hailed as a key step towards ending military rule, but that was marked by low turnout and the opposition's call for a boycott amid allegations of fraud. Voting in the landlocked country in Africa's northern half had taken place against a backdrop of recurring attacks by the jihadist group Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, the ending of a military accord with former colonial master France, and accusations that Chad was interfering in the conflict ravaging neighbouring Sudan. The government has presented the elections as the final stage in the transition to democracy. President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno took power in 2021 after the death of his father, who had ruled the Sahel country for three decades. The opposition had called for a boycott of the election, saying the results had been decided in advance. After polling stations closed, turnout stood at 52.37 percent, according to the ANGE national election management agency. In the capital N'Djamena, the opposition cried foul, saying numerous irregularities occurred the day before in some precincts, when soldiers had cast their ballots in line with tradition that sees the military, police and nomads vote a day before the general population. "The soldiers who came to vote yesterday (were) without a voter card or national identity card. The same person could vote twenty-five or fifty times," said Abdelaziz Koulamallah, a candidate for a local seat with the Federal Party for Justice and Development (PFJD), in a video posted on his Facebook account. Election officials in the upmarket district where the president's family and ruling dignitaries live earlier put the low turnout to "cold weather". But the opposition said the low numbers were due to its call for a boycott. They "have all stayed at home following our call. That is, the overwhelming majority" have, Succes Masra, leader of the opposition Transformers party, told AFP. The boycott leaves the field open for candidates aligned with the president, who was brought to power by the military in 2021 and then legitimised in a presidential election in May that opposition candidates denounced as fraudulent. "I urge all my compatriots on the electoral roll to come out and vote en masse," Deby posted on Facebook, alongside photos of himself casting his ballot on what he called a "historic day". - 'Pointless' - On Saturday, Masra had said: "The fabricated results are already in the computers." Herve Natouingan, 28, a construction worker turned motorbike taxi driver due to a lack of job prospects, said it was "pointless" to cast a ballot because "there's no real voting in Chad". Patrice Lumumba Deoumoundou, an unemployed 39-year-old, told AFP he had voted on Sunday morning in the hope of "change across the board" -- more jobs, fewer price rises, "more justice" and "more equality". Chad's election management agency said there had been "record" turnout during the early voting on Saturday, with more than 72 percent in the army and 54 percent among nomads. "There is a lot at stake locally in these elections," it said. "The nomads came to ask the people who will be elected tomorrow to improve their living conditions," said sheikh Djibrine Hassabakarim, one of the community's representatives. He said climate change had made life hard for his community, killing livestock, triggering clashes with sedentary farmers and making it hard for them to feed their families. - Transition to democracy - Polling stations were monitored by around 100 foreign election observers and representatives of political parties. On Saturday evening, the opposition Democratic Party of the Chadian People (PDPT) said more than a thousand ballots intended for the sub-prefecture of Bongor had disappeared. It called for "vigilance" to "thwart the fraud networks" it said had been set up by the ruling MPS party. The information contained in the article posted represents the views and opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of eNCA.com.

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