Press Statement

The Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) joins the Filipino people in commemorating the 10th anniversary of the landmark 2016 Arbitral Award, a historic legal victory that affirmed the Philippines' sovereign rights and maritime entitlements within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The ruling remains a powerful affirmation that international law—not the use of force or unilateral assertions—sho

The think tank Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) said the opening day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte marks a critical test of the country's democratic institutions and the constitutional principle that no public official is above the law. CenPEG Chairperson Prof. Roland G. Simbulan stressed that the proceedings should not be viewed merely as a political contest but as an opportunity to uphold public accountability at a time when mil

Quezon City, Philippines — A leading political analyst and mathematician has called for sweeping reforms to what he describes as the country's increasingly "mangled" and distorted party-list system, warning that judicial interventions and legislative weaknesses have undermined the original constitutional intent of giving marginalized sectors meaningful representation in Congress. Dr. Felix P. Muga II, Fellow of the Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) and Asso

The Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) expresses grave concern over the increasingly confrontational posture adopted by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. toward China and his apparent alignment with the strategic objectives of the United States in the Indo-Pacific region. The 1987 Philippine Constitution clearly mandates that the State "shall pursue an independent foreign policy." This constitutional principle was established to ensure that the Philippi

The Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) expresses its profound outrage over the continuing disorder, political maneuvering, and apparent efforts to undermine accountability in the Philippine Senate. The Senate was never intended to be a sanctuary for lawbreakers, a refuge from accountability, or a venue where political power can be used to frustrate the operation of justice. It is a constitutional institution entrusted with the solemn duty of making laws, e

The Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) expresses grave concern over the disturbing incidents that unfolded in the Senate amid efforts to enforce the arrest warrant against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who is being sought by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity linked to the bloody anti-drug campaign under the Duterte administration. Reports of chaos, lockdowns, alleged gunfire, and attempts to portray the Senate as being “un

The Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) expresses serious concern over recent reports indicating the expansion of United States military logistical operations into Mindanao, including reported equipment offloading activities linked to joint exercises such as Balikatan 2026. While these activities are framed as routine cooperation under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), their evolving scope reveals a deeper strategic transformation: the grad

Quezon City.-- The continued rise in fuel prices is placing an unbearable burden on the Filipino people, driving up the cost of transportation, food, electricity, and other basic goods. Left unchecked, these increases will deepen inequality and further erode the already fragile purchasing power of low- and middle-income households.Government cannot afford to rely solely on market forces in a time of crisis. 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆—but it must be 𝙙𝙚�

The proposal of the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Congress to temporarily suspend the excise tax on petroleum products in response to rising oil prices will have only limited impact and does not address the root causes of the country’s oil price crisis, according to Prof. Roland Simbulan, Chairperson and Fellow of the think tank Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG). Simbulan explained that while the proposed suspension is being presented as an imm