He came in from the cold sometime in 1998, like an emblem of the new shady lumpen-mandarins that had just come to power in the country. He was an enigma. Hardly anyone could remember what he looked like, nor what he had between the ears. He talked like a stevedore, yet seemed to have more … Read more
The election of a movie actor as president of the country in 1998 and his ouster by people power in 2001 are watersheds in our nation’s political life. These two events represent the political awakening of two distinct social classes – the middle class and the poor. They also signal the reactivation of two parallel … Read more
Both the surveys and the mass media confirm it: President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s popularity is vanishing quite fast. So fast that by 2004, there may be nothing left to support a re-election bid. The presidency that fell on her lap by sheer accident is a test of fitness rarely given to aspiring presidents. The growing … Read more
My first grandchild, Julia, turns two tomorrow. I have looked upon this day with an expectation that I do not remember reserving even for my own children’s birthday. In the past two years, she has been my sister, philosopher, and friend, keeping me company each morning when everyone has left for work. This baby rounds … Read more
There is little a country can do when foreign governments, out of fear, shut down their embassies because of serious threats to their security. The move is of the same category as the issuance of advisories against traveling to particular destinations. The host country can do two things: take action to neutralize the threat, and … Read more