Two weeks after President Marcos issued Proclamation No. 297 declaring the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, I caught the virus. Like a sick joke (pun intended) played on someone who felt triumphant at having evaded this deadly pathogen, the infection came almost stealthily, after a restful afternoon nap. “No, it can’t be,” I … Read more
Whenever I look back at more than four decades of teaching at the university, I often ask myself what it was about a student’s exam, a term paper, or a thesis that impressed me most, or made me say, “Wow! This is exceptional!” It is such moments that a teacher remembers most, and which make … Read more
With the indictment of former United States president Donald Trump on Aug. 1, for his unlawful attempts to overturn the election results and interfere with the orderly transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election, America has moved closer to making a decision that will either save its democratic system or finally tear it … Read more
On May 9, 2022, the day the nation voted for its president, only 22,963 out of over 106,174 clustered precincts nationwide (or about 22 percent) had officially reported the end of voting as of 7 p.m. This was what election commissioner Marlon Casquejo told reporters at 7:35 that evening. Everyone prepared for a long night. … Read more
The one thing I am eager to see in President Marcos’ second State of the Nation Address (Sona) is how he will tackle the momentous shift in the country’s foreign policy that has happened during the first year of his presidency. For one cannot think of any policy turn in the past year that is … Read more
What brings you to the United States?” the immigration officer asked, as he scanned the faces of my two granddaughters who had traveled with me from Manila. “We’re on holiday and will be visiting relatives,” I replied. “And where are you going?” he probed. “Mainly Los Angeles,” I said. “My granddaughters want to attend an … Read more
On my recent trip to Lanao del Sur to take a look at the rehabilitation effort in Marawi, six years after it was devastated by a five-month-long war with the Maute armed group, I was able to visit some of the villages surrounding Lake Lanao. What I saw and heard on these quick visits convinced … Read more
From her cell in Camp Crame, where she has been detained for over six years on charges filed during Duterte’s presidency, former senator Leila de Lima expressed disappointment over the denial of her petition for bail while awaiting trial in the third and final case against her. Everyone who has keenly followed the ordeal of … Read more
In early May, as the sixth anniversary of the Marawi siege approached, I resolved to visit this historic Islamic city by the lake. I’ve been to the remotest parts of Mindanao but never to Marawi, the seat of Meranaw culture, and an important site of resistance in the colonial conquest of the country. I almost … Read more
Worse than being poor is to be undocumented: to possess no valid proof of identity, and to have no one to attest to who you are and where you came from. It is to live without access to the institutional mechanisms of modern society: the law and the courts, the school system, jobs and credit … Read more