Category: Opinion & Editorial Columnists
How would Imelda Marcos have handled Metro Manila’s woes?
IN the face of the anarchy in the streets of Metro Manila, the paralysis that follows every heavy downpour, and the inability – nay, the unwillingness – of local officials…
The ‘Pope Francis Effect’ hits Kababayans in America
POPE Francis arrived in the United States on Tuesday, Sept. 22 for a six-day visit, exciting kababayans who wished they were in Manila when the Pontiff visited the Philippines last…
Shouting match at the Palace, a warning from the generals
Malacañang sources have revealed that a nasty shouting match transpired between President B.S. Aquino 3rd and Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad after the Supreme Court ordered the Ombudsman to have…
Again, the making of a myth: Erap’s last hurrah
Senator Grace P. Llamanzares’ speech the other day “offering” herself as our next President was unexpectedly quite impressive. Her oratory would be the final nail on Manuel Roxas II political…
Who will you now vote for: Grace Poe, Mar Roxas, or Jejomar Binay?
After all the anticipation, suspense, and cliffhangers of teleseryes that mirror her personal narrative, Senator Grace Poe has finally made it official: She is running for President. This makes the…
A LAW EACH DAY(Keeps Trouble Away)
There is no more doubt that the present administration under Aquino III is the No. 1 enemy of the masses. It is a government against the Filipino people instead of…
Title II threatens minority populations, small businesses
Earlier this year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted along party lines to reclassify Internet Service Providers (ISPs) as public utilities and to regulate the Internet under outdated Title II…
Where has Sen. Grace Poe Llamanzares’ sense of honor and shame gone?
THIS question has to be asked in light of Mrs. Llamanzares’s completely crass effort to promote herself as a possible presidential candidate, despite the clear language of the Constitution that…
Filipinos in America overwhelmingly support Pope Francis’ move to make marriage annulment faster, cheaper
POPE Francis received overwhelming support among Filipinos in America on the reforms he will implement in the Catholic Church to make marriage annulment faster and cheaper for Catholics. 100 percent…
Are we masochistic or stupid?
As an overseas Filipino who loves his homeland, I am puzzled, sad, and disenchanted to see our beloved Philippines hopelessly entrenched in a quagmire and culture of graft and corruption…
Is Aquino corrupt?
“But he himself is not corrupt, right?” That is a common refrain in conversations with Filipinos concerned about rising sleaze under President Benigno Aquino 3rd. Ironically, the same thing was…
The INC protest rallies, best and worst case scenarios
THANKFULLY, the protest rallies of the Iglesia ni Cristo at EDSA have been called off. INC’s leaders have declared that they have reached an “agreement” with the government – without…
Pope Francis makes marriage annulment easier, faster & cheaper for estranged couples
AFTER Pope Francis’s controversial statement allowing priests during the Year of Mercy to “absolve” sins committed by contrite women who have had abortions, the leader of the Catholic Church has…
Fil-Ams support Pope Francis’ announcement to forgive contrite women had an abortion
POPE Francis once again shook the Catholic community and the world, last Tuesday, Sept. 1 with his announcement that priests around the world will be authorized to forgive women who…
The curse of incompetence and insensitivity
THERE’S this joke about a little boy anxious to see his expectant mother give birth. She explains that it will take several months for the baby to come out. The…
The rise of anti-establishment candidates: Move over Clinton, Bush and even Trump?
THOUGH a candidate most Democrats outside of the state of Vermont have never heard of, Senator Bernie Sanders has proven a sustained upward climb in the polls, possibly threatening the…
Is the Aquino administration ‘meddling in INC affairs’ over alleged illegal detention and corruption of its leadership?
Social media was on fire on Friday, Aug. 28 with comments and criticisms from kababayans who were caught in traffic on EDSA after thousands of members of Iglesia ni Cristo…
What good is a straight path if traffic is not moving?
SLOWLY and inexorably, the Aquino government, by its failure to help solve the problems of daily life, is driving many of us into impossible and desperate straits. Confronted by a…
Finally oust or impeach PNoy and welcome a caretaker
LAST Wednesday, Aug. 26, as the National Transformation Council renewed its call on President B. S. Aquino III to step down and pave the way for a nonpartisan transitory council,…
Kababayans’ reaction to Trump’s immigration policy
WHEN I shared through this column what undocumented Filipinos in America may expect from a Trump presidency — and that Trump should recalibrate his message against undocumented immigrants so he…
Are you angry enough?
CTALK By Cito Beltran Are you angry enough about our state of affairs in the Republic of the Philippines? The thought has begun to surface as millions of Filipinos come…
Nagging questions about Sen. Grace Poe’s eligibility
I agree with Ateneo’s Dean Tony la Viña, a legal luminary, that the disqualification case filed with the Senate Electoral Tribunal by losing senatorial candidate Rizalito David against Sen. Grace…
Donald Trump needs to recalibrate his message against undocumented immigrants
Picture this: A homeless man was sleeping near a train station, then wakes up to two men urinating on him. Not satisfied, these men beat the homeless man with a…
What undocumented Pinoys can expect from a Donald Trump presidency
FILIPINOS in America are divided between two ends of the spectrum: those who believe Donald Trump is their “Messiah” who will help “reclaim” America (but from whom?) and all her…
POLL Result: Fil-Ams choose between Roxas-Poe or Roxas-Robredo
After two candidates have publicly signified their presidential bids for 2016, the next question people are so curious to know is who UNA’s Jejomar Binay and LP’s Mar Roxas will…
Survival and success in the face of government insensitivity
In the wake of super typhoon Yolanda, President Benigno S. Aquino III could have been talking to the Otic family of Tacloban when he bluntly told a local businessman, “Buhay…
Are you a Fil-Am voting for a Republican presidential nominee in 2016? This is for you!
It is GAME ON! Following the first Republican Party debate last Thursday, August 6, many kababayans who lean Republican have been energized to see the crowded slate of candidates they…
Fil-Ams and other kababayans react to VP Binay’s ‘True State of the Nation’s Address’
VICE President Binay delivered what he called to be the “True State of the Nation Address” at the Cavite State University, following the official sixth and last SONA of President…
Wanted: Scapegoats and whipping boys
URBAN legend has it that President Manuel Quezon, while entertaining a foreign dignitary in Malacañang, inadvertently let out gas. Without missing a beat, Quezon turned to his aide-de-camp and up braided the…