MANILA The Filipinos have just given President Benigno Aquino III a solid majority in the Senate, with nine out of 12 posts up for grabs going to the chief executive’s chosen candidates. The 24-member upper chamber of the Philippine Congress is now in the President’s pocket. The pre-election surveys had forecast this outcome, and even titillated Mr. Aquino… Read More »
Yes, President Benigno Aquino III wants his hand-picked senatorial bets to sweep the May 13 election and shut out the opposition with 12 wins and no losses. (PNoy is the president’s political nickname; Noynoy is his family nickname.) Will his wish come true? Not likely. Aquino has been doing the rounds of campaigning around the country and using… Read More »
By the time you’re reading this, the Philippines will be edging closer to judgment day for politicians vying for positions all over the land. May 13 is Election Day for senators (who are voted nationwide) and local officials from town mayors to governors to members of Congress. These elections are pivotal in how the nation will be governed… Read More »
MANILA During a press interview, President Benigno Aquino III was asked about his typical day in office. He replied that it’s typical to have several issues on his plate on any given day. The president of a nation, any nation, is on the job 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I’m sure there are days when… Read More »
The sudden arrival four weeks ago at this writing of followers of the sultan of Sulu in Sabah in North Borneo has now resulted in a number of deaths. Further deaths may ensue before the problem is resolved. The incident has embroiled the governments of the Philippines and of Malaysia and the sultan in a fresh controversy over… Read More »
MANILA Does the Philippines have a monopoly on disasters? They never seem to stop coming to this unlucky country. Australia is the country that calls itself “unlucky,” even though the land Down Under is blessed with abundant natural resources, a vast and wondrous land, and a resilient and resourceful people. A number of countries in Africa are prone… Read More »
MANILA It’s still three months before the nationwide elections here on May 13 but the campaign fever is already heating up. Campaigning is still not officially allowed at this time but the law can’t stop politicians from marketing themselves already to the electorate. That’s the Philippines, where laws generally are only taken as mere suggestions by many people… Read More »
MANILA The Philippines’ New Year didn’t start auspiciously. Besides the usual pandemonium on New Year’s Eve with deafening and asphyxiating neighborhood fireworks, the early days of the year have brought deaths and intriguing mystery. The New Year was barely a week old when a spate of gun violence exploded in different parts of the country. The most controversial… Read More »
The debris on this city’s streets, mainly in residential areas, was super thick in the aftermath of the New Year’s Eve revelry with the traditional fireworks. Driving home from a New Year dinner and countdown, I passed many streets that were nearly impassable because of the riot of firecracker festivities. Debris and assorted pyrotechnic paraphernalia were left abandoned… Read More »
MANILA It’s been a December that will not be easy to forget by Filipinos. A couple of weeks before Christmas, a devastating typhoon leveled many parts of Mindanao in southern Philippines. And a very controversial bill on reproductive health passed through a needle’s eye in the Congress after many months of bitter debate. In sports, international boxing icon… Read More »