This thought seems to return again and again: Human life is cheap in Duterte’s Philippines, but only if you are poor OR if you have a conscience. Not when you are rich though, especially if your wealth comes from suspect sources. It despairs me. Why does my mind get preoccupied with the state of my country, a place in which I have not spent much time in the last 21 years which is most of my adult life. Does this tell me where I should be after this process of fortifying my humanity? I hope there will be clarity on the other side.