San Diego. From the air, they appear as patches of bright red orange in the dark gray mist of the Southern California skyline. They remind me of the kaingin (slash-and-burn) clearings in the Philippine countryside. I count about five of them as the plane I boarded in Lima, Peru approaches the Los Angeles airport. They … Read more
CUSCO — I am in Peru and I’m writing from Cusco, possibly the highest city in the world at 12,000 feet above sea level. Resting on a basin completely surrounded by the Andes Mountains, Cusco is the “navel” of the ancient Inca world known as Tawantinsuyo. A fusion of old dreams and young aspirations has … Read more
Like his former classmates and colleagues in academe who have known him closely or casually, I too was disappointed that former Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri failed to seize the moment at the Senate hearing in order to disclose everything he knew about the controversial ZTE broadband deal. I also believe that basic self-respect now … Read more
The brutal suppression by Burma’s military junta of Buddhist monks and civilian protesters has sparked global outrage. The generals who have ruled this unfortunate country for 45 years remain seemingly impervious to worldwide appeals for moderation. We in the Philippines who resisted and overthrew a comparatively milder dictatorship can do no less than to encourage … Read more
Under questioning at the Senate on the National Broadband Network contract with ZTE, former Socio-economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri stated that he truly believed it would be beneficial for the government to operate its own network. Asked whether he thought such a project was best pursued through a government-togovernment loan or through a build-operate-transfer (BOT) … Read more
Thirty-five years ago, Ferdinand Marcos invoked the emergency powers provided by the 1935 Constitution in order to seize control of the main levers of government. Proclamation 1081 ushered in a dictatorship that lasted almost 14 years. The events that unfolded on that fateful day in September 1972 were not entirely unexpected. People knew martial law … Read more
It was indeed a historic moment in our nation’s life – the first time a former president has ever been convicted for an offense committed while he was in office. Because of the stature of the accused, we are led to think that, finally, the rule of law in our society has prevailed. I’m afraid … Read more
I remember the first time I drove a motorcycle on the expressway. It was 1967, and the new North Diversion Road, as it was then called, was almost finished, although it had not yet officially opened. I realized that some motorcycles were made for open highways, while others did better on city roads. The concept … Read more
If there is one public official in our country today who does his work seemingly without regard for the political consequences, that person has to be Bayani Fernando, the current chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA). In a just society, he would be a model public servant. But in our kind of society, … Read more
The Hello Garci controversy posed two important questions that, to this day, remain unanswered. First, did the military undertake operations, including wiretapping, for partisan political purposes during the 2004 presidential election? Second, did President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo conspire with election officials to manipulate the results of the 2004 election? The taped conversations at the center … Read more