Surely there are more important things to talk about these days than this illegal poor man’s lottery that is hogging the headlines. And surely, we have far more pressing tasks before us than going after local gambling lords and tracking down their powerful protectors. So, why are we allowing ourselves to be distracted and agitated … Read more
Once again we find ourselves at a crossroad. We don’t know where to turn, but we have a strong sense that we must alter course if we are to survive and grow as a nation. We are convinced that if we allow our current crop of politicians to continue governing the country, we are doomed … Read more
The recent rash of media killings has had only local journalists as victims. There are two reasons for this. First, because, compared to those in the national media, local journalists are relatively little known and therefore more vulnerable to attack. Second, and perhaps more importantly, because the entities they expose by their writings tend to … Read more
As they sat on a bench in the crowded courtroom, she began to wipe the sweat on his face with a crumpled handkerchief. He lowered his head and leaned slightly toward his mother. She hadn’t seen him in a while, and now he was back in her arms, her son, her little one. It was … Read more
Since the start of the year I’ve been speaking at various schools in the country. I think I have gained a clear idea of the concerns and aspirations of young Filipinos in these uncertain times. In the exchange that follows every talk, I ask how many in the audience are seriously planning to go abroad … Read more
Reacting to my column on outdoor advertising (“Billboard nation,” PDI 04/03/05) and to another piece on the same subject by fellow Inquirer columnist Augusto Villalon, a reader, Neil Magno, raises a couple of points that give us the chance to place this issue in a larger context. He writes: “I cannot agree with both of … Read more
Cambridge. I like coming to Cambridge not so much to see Harvard but to visit my old friend Daniel Boone Schirmer. He turned 90 this year, and is wheelchair-bound. A thin line of mourning marks his handsome Pilgrim face, but his blue eyes are undiminished in their brightness. Last year, he lost his wife Peggy, … Read more
The most fascinating thing about the tributes and the media coverage that have accompanied Pope John Paul II’s death is the relentless message that this particular man’s life will not be forgotten. Many are already calling him a saint. He is dead but his spirit lives in the hearts of the many who admire him. … Read more
When 1500 parliamentarians from Asia, Europe, and the Americas converge in Manila today for the 112th General Assembly of the InterParliamentary Union (IPU), what first images will they have of the Philippines? From the moment they step out of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, they will see a nation hopelessly scarred by billboards. As they … Read more
On his way to Calvary, Jesus foretold many events that astonished his followers. He said he would be arrested, that one of his own disciples would betray him, and that Peter himself would deny that he knew him, not once but three times. He said he would be crucified, and he would die on the … Read more