Confronted by the sudden influx of migrants fleeing from the war-torn and impoverished countries of West Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, Europe has responded in two fundamental ways—one, out of fear; the other, out of love. The first has taken the form of barbed-wire barriers to keep aliens out of Hungary’s borders. In … Read more
Being an island nation, we tend to be indifferent to the great human tragedies that are happening in the rest of the world. Our national media reflect and reinforce this insularity. These past few weeks, for instance, while Europe has been at its wits’ end trying to find a way to deal with the massive … Read more
In my column last week on the Iglesia ni Cristo protest action at Edsa, I wrote that nothing could be more explosive than the encounter between religion and politics. I meant it as a warning. My mind was flooded with gory images of government forces moving in to disperse the crowd that had taken over … Read more
Sen. Francis Escudero was on broadcaster Anthony Taberna’s radio program last Thursday evening, echoing the Iglesia ni Cristo’s demand that it be left alone to solve its own problems. “Away pamilya ito (This is a family spat),” he said, breezily advising Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to back off from the illegal detention complaint filed by … Read more
Sen. Francis Escudero was on broadcaster Anthony Taberna’s radio program last Thursday evening, echoing the Iglesia ni Cristo’s demand that it be left alone to solve its own problems. “Away pamilya ito (This is a family spat),” he said, breezily advising Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to back off from the illegal detention complaint filed by … Read more
Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina touched a raw nerve when he recently announced that the Bureau of Customs would be randomly opening and examining balikbayan boxes as part of the agency’s effort to curb smuggling. He said that smugglers have been using this iconic door-to-door delivery system to bring in contraband items like illegal drugs, guns … Read more
Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina touched a raw nerve when he recently announced that the Bureau of Customs would be randomly opening and examining balikbayan boxes as part of the agency’s effort to curb smuggling. He said that smugglers have been using this iconic door-to-door delivery system to bring in contraband items like illegal drugs, guns … Read more
The long-running local TV noontime show, “Eat Bulaga,” recently registered a phenomenal spike in its viewership after showcasing in one of its regular segments the immense talent of Maine Mendoza, a young woman whose Dubsmash video clips have become a YouTube sensation. By casting Maine in the role of a maid, “Yaya Dub,” to a … Read more
The long-running local TV noontime show, “Eat Bulaga,” recently registered a phenomenal spike in its viewership after showcasing in one of its regular segments the immense talent of Maine Mendoza, a young woman whose Dubsmash video clips have become a YouTube sensation. By casting Maine in the role of a maid, “Yaya Dub,” to a … Read more
Should there be an opportunity to amend or revise the 1987 Constitution, it would be worth taking a close look at the role of the vice president. It is not clear why the framers of our Constitution, after choosing the presidential system of government, allowed for the possibility that the two top executive officials of … Read more