How the average Pinoys regard the Spratlys conflict
PRESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III has been excoriated for his handling of the festering conflict with China over the Spratlys. From losing trading revenues to being pulverized in a shooting…
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Roxas and Duterte tied as Fil-Ams’ top favorites for president
Will this change with the new Duterte controversies? AFTER previous denials of his intent to join the race to Malacañang, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has finally declared his candidacy…
Self-destructive
“THE people of the Philippines are not ready for my kind of style,” Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte warned in September when he turned down ardent calls by his supporters…
Quotes that remind us about the essence of Thanksgiving
More than Christmas, Thanksgiving Day is perhaps the holiday that compels many families to come home and spend time with their folks. There is no pressure about giving gifts —…
Senate Electoral Tribunal ruling: Tougher road ahead for Sen. Grace Poe
The 5-4 vote by the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) is not the resounding victory that many supporters of Grace Poe had hoped for. In fact, the close vote means that…
Noli Me Tangere and the APEC Summit
THE APEC summit, for which the Aquino government was willing to create horrible incoveniences and economic losses for the country, concluded amidst self-congratulatory applause and back-patting by its organizers. The…
Poll result: Fil-Ams do not want any more Syrian refugees in the US over terrorism fears
AFTER the coordinated terrorist attacks consisting of mass shootings, suicide bombings, and hostage-taking in Paris that killed 130 people and injured 389 on November 13, people all over the world…
Troubled water
OVER the weekend, members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathered for its annual summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The global leaders discussed some of the region’s most…
The other side of the immigration debate
Millions of undocumented immigrants are facing possible deportation. Some have proposed building a wall. States are threatening to close their borders to refugees. Amid the current divisive immigration rhetoric it’s…
Should the US abandon its plan to accept more Syrian refugees to keep the country safe?
AT least 129 people were killed and 352 wounded after three groups of terrorists staged coordinated attacks at six locations throughout Paris, France late Friday, Nov. 13. ISIS, a jihadist…
Pray for Paris
“ONCE again we’ve seen an outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent civilians. This is an attack not just on Paris, it’s an attack not just on the people of France, but…
Never again!
THOSE who continue to subscribe to the “Tuwid na Daan” of the Aquino administration should listen to the tales of woe of the Lumads. Numerous accounts say thousands of indigenous…
Former TSA employee exposes ‘Laglag Bala’ scam at NAIA
MANY victims of the alleged bullet planting scam (“laglag bala” or “tanim bala”) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport have come forward to fight against airport personnel, including Rhed de…
Disruption
Hosting the APEC meeting in a crowded and disorganized metropolis like Manila is very likely a bad idea. The disruption will impose costs on everyone, costs far beyond the few…
What’s the end game in the US-China face-off over the Spratleys?
REMEMBER our boyhood days when a bully would place a chip on his shoulder and dare anyone to knock it off? If someone did, the bully had to fight the…
What to do when you get victimized by the ‘laglag bala’ scam at NAIA
MY husband and I are visiting the Philippines this December, as many kababayans plan to do as well, but the excitement of this year’s trip is dampened by the “laglag…
Laughingstock
WITH the rising number of alleged victims of the notorious “tanim bala” (bullet planting) scam at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), it is no surprise that this peculiar security…
Fil-Ams paranoid about the ‘Laglag Bala’ scam in the Philippines propose solution
YOU can see and feel the “paranoia” among travelers even in the terminals here in the United States. On flights coming from the Philippines, luggage is plastic wrapped and locked…
Recognizing October as Filipino American History Month
Nevada would not be the state that it is today without the contributions made by the Filipino-American community. The hard work of our Filipino-American community continues to help move our…
Under Aquino, we’ve become the most violent country in Asia, next to NKorea
That’s according to the 2015 rankings by the “Global Peace Index” of 162 countries done annually since 2007 by a panel of international experts in the Institute for Economics and…
Revolution now? How and who?
I HAVE just read, with extreme fascination, a discussion paper published by Norberto B. Gonzales, secretary of national defense and national security adviser under former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. It has…
The ‘Laglag Bala’ scheme and the state of paranoia at NAIA: more fun in the Philippines?
ONE of the things we Filipinos living abroad always look forward to and are excited about is the ability to travel back to the Philippines and feel “at home” in…
Entrapment
IS it really more fun in the Philippines? In 2014, the government has recorded 34 million domestic and international arrival and departures at the country’s premier gateway. Despite a “worst…
Election or revolution?
“No faith is potent unless it is also faith in the future, unless it has a millennial component. So, too, an effective doctrine: as well as being a source of power, it must also…
PH presidential election cliffhanger: Duterte could still run for president
RODRIGO Duterte fans won’t stop believing, and they have reasons to press forward. Turns out the speculations about the “substitution” theory may indeed happen — popular Davao City mayor “may”…
Insights on election cheating and corruption
“GREG, how true!” This was the comment of a friend from Seattle upon reading my piece, “Insights from a small town politician,” particularly the part about the need for “mobilization” (a…
Usapang Todos Los Santos: When your time comes, would you choose to be cremated?
PERHAPS a lot of us Filipinos living abroad would have a collective memory of how “Todos Los Santos” was observed in the Philippines where many of us grew up. This…
Proposition
A GREAT fight is brewing among four opposing names who dare to covet the highest political rank in the Philippines. While the top presidential aspirants are strong contenders – each…
Reaction to first Democratic Party Presidential Debate
LINCOLN Chafee, Hillary Clinton, Martin O’Malley, Bernie Sanders and Jim Webb. These five Democrats – these five leaders – took the stage in Nevada last week for the inaugural Democratic Party Presidential…
Should Manny Pacquiao be disqualified from the senatorial race because of absenteeism?
SOLID fans who adore not only the Pambansang Kamao in Manny Pacquiao but everything else about him will surely not like this question. But this is exactly what the Commission…