The Supreme Court is the highest court of the land.  It is the final interpreter of the Constitution – the basic law that constitutes us, the Filipino people, into a distinct nation-state.  Indeed, the Constitution is what the Supreme Court says it is.  To be able to perform this crucial function in any reliable way, … Read more

The Supreme Court has ruled that President Macapagal-Arroyo can exercise the power to appoint any member of the judiciary – if the occasion arises, even up to the very last day of her presidency. The constitutional ban on presidential midnight appointments does not apply to appointments to the judiciary. I carefully read the majority opinion … Read more

Approaching the end of its protracted term, after wielding power for more than nine years, the Arroyo administration is now engaged in what can only be called a pathetic effort to banner its achievements. It has been buying advertisement space in the mass media to show how much progress has been attained under Ms Arroyo.  … Read more

In more ways than one, Noynoy Aquino, Manny Villar, and Erap Estrada – the current frontrunners in the 2010 presidential race — represent the three distinct faces of Philippine politics.  Aquino draws heavily from the charisma of his illustrious parents.  Villar banks on the power of his personal wealth.  And Estrada continues to rely on … Read more

Trust is an interesting concept.  It is what people use as a basis for making quick choices and taking risks in a complex field of selections. In short, trust is a way of simplifying decision-making.  It is particularly important in societies like ours where formal institutions are not working properly.  We find ourselves relying on … Read more

President Macapagal-Arroyo can make all kinds of claims about the accomplishments of her presidency, but what she will be long remembered for is the legacy of political instability she leaves behind. So important is stability to the functioning of a democracy that one of the crucial achievements of any administration is the peaceful and orderly … Read more

The law has been there since 2001, but its provisions have been unevenly enforced.  This is true of many of our laws – many provisions remain dormant until the situations for which they were specifically crafted actually surface as problems, or the conditions for their enforcement become available.  Such is Republic Act No. 9006, more … Read more

In fifteen measured sessions, the University of the Philippines last week held what it billed as an “academic congress to challenge our next leaders.” The sessions dealt with a wide range of topics – Mindanao, public health, labor export, urban policy, science and technology, public debt, foreign relations, workers’ rights, disaster risk reduction, and elections … Read more

He was only attesting to the instinct for violence of the Ampatuans — and surely had no intention of putting the latter’s political allies in a bad light – certainly not the administration presidential bet, Gilbert Teodoro, with whom he is now aligned.  But the testimony the other day of Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael “Toto” … Read more

Fascinated by the growing number of Filipinos who have found instant — sometimes suicidal — mobility in very affordable motorbikes from China, I recently got myself a new Chinese-made 125cc underbone for the price of a branded Japanese helmet.  Light and handy, the bike handles pretty well on short commutes.  My friends, with whom I … Read more