Category: Opinion & Editorial Columnists

THE announcement of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation on Monday shocked the Catholic community around the world, including our kababayans. This has never happened in 600 years, and many wondered why the pope would step down from his post, after only seven years of leading the Roman Catholic Church. But during the Ash Wednesday mass in Saint…

IN THE wake of Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to step down, many were startled and lamented the resignation of the pontiff as the supreme leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Speaking in Latin in a meeting with Vatican cardinals, the pope revealed his decision “of great importance for the life of the church.” “In today’s…

WHO will be the next Pope? This has been the question many people have been asking after the surprise resignation of Pope Benedict XVI last Monday. Kababayans from all over the world even went as far as to ask: Could the next leader of the Catholic Church be Filipino? According to Reuters, Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio…

ACCORDING to the latest ABC News/Washington Postpoll (the survey was conducted by landline and cellphone from January 30-February 3, 2013, among a random national sample of 1,038 adults), there was a boost in public approval for President Barack Obama’s handling of immigration, brought about by “majority support for a path to citizenship” for the undocumented and…

LAST Wednesday, I wrote about President Barack Obama’s call for Americans “to keep the pressure on the members of Congress to do the right thing and “support common-sense reforms like requiring universal background checks, or restoring the ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines…to tell them there’s no legislation to eliminate all guns; there’s…

DESPITE the ongoing recovery operations on the dismantling of the US Navy minesweeper, USS Guardian (which remains aground at the Tubbataha Reef), Pinoysremain vehement weeks after the incident. The US government reiterated its commitment to pay for the damages caused by the Tubbataha Reef mishap. “In view of damages caused by the USS Guardian accident at…

THE verdict is out. On January 28, performance artist and cultural activist Charles P. “Carlos” Celdran was convicted for “offending religious feelings” by Judge Juan Bermejo of the Manila Metropolitan Trial Court’s Branch 4. Celdran was sentenced to a prison term — ranging from 2 months and 21 days, up to 13 months and 11…

CARLOS Celdran was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt for the crime of “offending religious feelings,” under Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code. This stemmed from a complaint filed against him by the Catholic Church  when he staged a protest inside the Manila Cathedral while an ecumenical service (not a mass, as reported by some)…

Before anyone starts hurling an anti-Tito Sotto dagger at me, let me point out that I didn’t coin the phrase, and neither did my daughter from whom I heard it tonight. But lack of attribution isn’t the point of this piece but, rather, the implications that the transition from “word-of- mouth” to “word-of-mouse” presents. Gone…

AFTER a long wait under four administrations (Aquino, Ramos, Estrada and Arroyo), victims of the Marcos tyranny have more reasons to celebrate the 27th anniversary of EDSA People Power Revolution this year. In three weeks, Filipinos will commemorate the February 1986 event which brought the People Power Revolution. In this historic uprising, the voice of…

COULD and should a person be imprisoned for “offending religious feelings?” In the Philippines, it is possible. That is exactly what the judge ruled in a case filed by Monsignor Nestor Cerbo of the Manila Cathedral (Catholic Church vs Carlos Celdran) over Celdran’s violation of Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code. On September 30,…

As of press time, the USS Guardian ship is still stranded at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Tubbataha Reef. Amid all the outrage caused by the unfortunate accident, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) made clear that the annual Balikatan Exercises between the Philippine and US troops will still push through. In a statement, AFP…

IN the Republic of Santa Banana, there’s a new president, replacing the unlamented Gloria En Excesses Deo. President Penoy Balut is said to be the most honest president Santa Banana has ever had. He is so honest, he recently signed a bill levying heavy taxes on cigarettes, to discourage the masses from smoking (which is…

(Editor’s Note: This editorial was produced in association with New America Media  -http://www.newamericamedia.org – a national association of ethnic media, and was published by ethnic media across the country to bring attention to the urgency of immigration reform.) The White House and Congress must move quickly to enact just and humane comprehensive immigration reform. In…

BARACK Obama just renewed his oath of office, to serve as our president for four more years. His second inauguration coincided with two important moments in history, made possible by two great men, who have been a big influence in Obama’s guiding principles and conviction as a leader — Martin Luther King and President Abraham…

AFTER a 10-day convoluted tirade between Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, the two senators finally called a “ceasefire” on what has become a bitter (and possibly, life-threatening) diatribe. The very publicized feud and conflict between the nation’s two top officials started over Sen. Enrile’s distribution of P1.618 million each among members…

THE Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has been named by an interactive travel website as “the worst airport in Asia.” But many Filipinos back home are still forgiving, even defensive in protecting the Philippines’ image. For many kababayans who have been to other airports in the world, and those who frequently fly in and out of the…

IN travel and leisure, it seems that politics are set aside. Contrary to its implications, the escalating conflict in the ongoing territorial dispute over the Spratlys does not interfere with travel plans of Chinese tourists to the Philippines. On January 9, China’s Oriental Morning Post hailed the Philippines as one of the “Best Tourist Destination for 2012.”…

AFTER the announcement of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Nepolitano on a new ruling (which will give immediate family members of US citizens unlawfully staying in the United States provisional waivers so they can continue to live in the US while awaiting their green card), we have seen spikes of advertisements in both traditional…

LAST month, President Aquino was quoted in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) anniversary as saying that the “rusty” days of Philippine warships were over. Because of the “overflowing trust” that the Filipinos have in the local troops, the president said that modern warships will be acquired and deployed this year to better ensure…

THE debate continues following the massacre of 20 first graders and six adults in Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut — the tipping point after many other deadly shootings in America in the past few years. In the wake of this tragedy, Gallup Poll conducted a survey (from December 19-22, 2012), finding 58 percent…

ON Saturday, I wrote about the new ruling announced by the Obama Administration last January 2, which reduces the time US citizens are separated from their undocumented, overstaying, or what we Pinoys broadly refer to as TnT (Tago ng Tago) immediate relatives (spouse, children and parents) who are in the process of obtaining visas to become lawful…

THE Philippines, which celebrates one of the world’s most raucous and dangerous New Year, welcomed 2013 with a bang – literally. Beginning January 1, a series of gun-related incidents has disrupted the New Year revelry. The Philippine National Police (PNP) reported at least 40 indiscriminate firing cases during the celebration. The highly publicized death of…

THE start of new year has brought forth a new reason for kababayans to look forward to 2013 with a renewed sense of optimism in their seemingly elusive dream of being able to live with their family in America without fear of being prosecuted and deported. On January 2, the Obama administration announced a new immigration rule…

FR. JAMES Reuter, SJ may not have been Filipino by blood, but he was definitely Pinoy in heart and mind. The revered and beloved 96-year-old American priest (who was also known for being an academic, singer, athlete, artist and political activist) passed away on December 31 from lung and heart failure. The entire nation mourned over his…

THIS week, we glorify the heroism and gallantry displayed by American and Filipino World War II veterans. This celebration encourages those of us who are now enjoying freedom, to pay tribute to all these freedom fighters — those who survived and perished when world peace was compromised. Former President Franklin Roosevelt vowed that Filipino soldiers…

And just like that, the highly-anticipated 2012 US presidential elections is finally over. In what turned out to be one of the closest and costliest presidential races in history, President Barack Hussein Obama secured a second-term, snatching the gilded seat of chief executive away from Gov. Mitt Romney by almost a hundred electoral votes. At…

2012 was generally a good year for Filipinos. Triumphs were made, losses were faced, and lessons were learned. Filipinos are starting the year right, looking forward to 2013 with hope. In its recent survey, Social Weather Station (SWS) revealed that nine out of ten Pinoys are hopeful rather that fearful in the new year. This…

WITH several mass killings in the past years, finally, the demand and push for solutions to solve gun violence in America has reached a tipping point. More than two weeks ago, twenty young innocent first graders and six school personnel were brutally slaughtered by a lone young gun man in Sandy Hook Elementary School in…