You could see the little miracles wrought by their handlers’ wise counsel by the way they conduct themselves in front of the media these days. Erap Estrada has been telling less and less jokes. We now hear him on radio on Saturday mornings seriously addressing questions of governance and problems of policy, the stuff we … Read more
The present problems of Monte de Piedad began with the idea of extending small loans to tricycle drivers. The project bore all the credentials of piety, Christian love and charity, which alone could justify Church involvement in commerce. When it was shown that the project would not only help the poor become productive, but that … Read more
The famine that is today rapidly descending upon North Korea reminds me of a rare visit I made to that country in 1986. The North Koreans were then just beginning to expand their interaction with the non-socialist world. They had invited some scholars from the United Nations University (UNU), including myself, to come and meet … Read more
Misconduct involving sex and money is always hot material for media everywhere; more so when it involves persons of power and moral influence. That is why politicians and priests are particularly favored subjects of reportage on sleaze. It is not right to assume that the media attention is necessarily “politically-motivated” or “wellorchestrated”. Nor should it … Read more