Charter change has once again reared its head. The objective: To change our form of government from a centralized, unitary system to federalism. The change would mean sharing of power between two levels of government – a central government and regional ones – both equal to each other. Instead of solving problems, the changes can bring […]
In my 25 years of working for reforms in the criminal justice system, I thought I have heard and known the worst cases of travesty of justice. I thought wrong. Feelings of shock, dismay and sadness competed while I read the news that the Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal of Dr. Ester […]
The title of this column is the title of the statement signed and released by 31 women, all awardees of The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS). I take pride in being one of the signatories of this statement that comes amid assaults by the President no less on various sectors, including women. TOWNS […]
I agree with Father Ben Sim’s (Angkong Ben to many of his constituents) lament: Why is the Christ in Christmas being forgotten in the frenzy of cards, gifts, carols and the like? Instead of the traditional songs like “Silent Night,” “Joy to the World,” “O Holy Night,” “Adeste Fideles,” children today are more familiar with […]
At the 30th Anniversary General Assembly of the Philippine Association for Chinese Studies last Dec. 2, four “ambassadors” were given recognition. I was tasked by PACS president Dr. Tina Clemente of the University of the Philippines to introduce them. It was an honor and privilege to present the honorees, considering their stature. But as Dr. […]
Don’t believe everything you read. Legitimate media have long made it a point to check and double check facts before publication or broadcast. This assures readers that the news they get is credible. On the other hand, it seems anyone who has anything to say can post it on the internet, and voila! Servings of […]
The whole nation’s attention last week was riveted on the 31st ASEAN summit drama. The Philippines played host to the meeting of heads of state of member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, who were joined by China Premier Li Keqiang, United States President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Canadian Prime […]
Rodrigo Duterte came to power vowing to rid the country not only of illegal drugs and criminality but also corruption in government. In fact, he has sacked Cabinet members and government officials whenever he hears derogatory information about them, such as using their positions to broker deals or exert undue influence. The two people the […]
A friend forwarded to me a post from the Pinoy Ako Blog. In “Ako si PAB, eh ano ngayon (I am PAB, so what)?” Maria Josephina Vergina Laurio admitted that she is behind the blog, that she is PAB. I was awed by this brave act. It takes courage to reveal her true identity, knowing […]
Visa-free Taiwan Visa-free entry to Taiwan is welcome news to many Filipinos, especially the Chinese Filipinos. As Tulay associate editor Grace Pe-Bacani said, it took her just seconds to log on to the visa-free online registration to get visas for her whole family. I’ve had no problem in the last three years getting my electronic […]