Dealing with the MILF

The most visible political casualty in the ongoing kidnap crisis in Mindanao is Nur Misuari.  The 21 mostly foreign hostages who were taken from Malaysia more than two months ago are being held in Sulu.  This province is Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) territory.  The maintenance of peace and order there is Misuari’s responsibility.  Yet … Read more

Thoughts on Father’s Day

By inclination, I can’t get excited by rituals of scheduled affection. Not that I do not value Father’s Day or Mother’s Day, but I prefer casual thoughtfulness to pious greetings induced by remembered dates.  I cringe at the idea of seeing love crammed into those special days set aside by merchants of sentiment, but I … Read more

Self-respect and national pride

When you apply for a visitor’s visa, you may expect to be given a tough time by consular officials of the country you wish to enter.  You may be asked to produce proof that your visit is legitimate, that you are not going to be a burden or a danger, and that you have no … Read more

Commander Robot and Moro identity

In a previous column, I wrote that while Moros and Filipinos may have sprung from the same racial stock, the accidents of history have made them different nations.  I argued that any attempt to arrive at a just and enduring solution to the Mindanao problem must begin with this recognition.  But I did not mean … Read more