The depths of corruption

MANILA The current scandal here involving the serial theft of the people’s money allocated as pork barrel of members of the Congress confirms once and for all how deep corruption is in the Philippines. It’s been exposed in media that P10 billion in congressional pork barrel has been stolen through ghost projects and beneficiaries over a span of… Read More »

The journey from hope to despair

Isn’t it ironic that an administration that was propelled to power on a promise of honesty and transparency should now stagger under the weight of suspicions of corruption and dishonesty? And isn’t it a pity that the people who were hoping to be liberated from decades of despair by this administration should now again become hopeless about their… Read More »

Pandora’s Box and all that it has

No one should really be surprised if the recent burst of violence in Zamboanga City allegedly unleashed by the men of Nur Misuari’s MNLF is backed up by big politicians embroiled in the Napoles scam. Either it is staged as a distraction from the focus the media is giving to the probe on this despicable heinous perfidy of… Read More »

MIRACLE OF A MOTHER

A mother is a special creation by God on earth. All mothers are special but one stood different among the rest and on Her birthday we will give Her the glory of certain miracles. AVV913 Among those who can write and tell stories about mother, I know that I am one of the least experienced, if biological mother… Read More »

Philippines ‘no longer a joke’

MANILA That’s the verdict of an international investment expert, that the Philippines “looks poised to resume a period of strong growth.” In a recently published book, “Breakout Nations,” Ruchir Sharma of Morgan Stanley Investment Management, writes that the Philippines “is no longer a joke.” “[T]he new president, Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III, probably has just enough support, and looks… Read More »

REGINE STILL A KAPUSO STAR

If plan doesn’t miscarry, by this time Regine Velasquez would have inked a two-year renewal of her contract under GMA-7 network. Apparently, that would push through for after a long absence at the Kapuso program Sunday All Stars, Regine showed up and emblazoned her loyalty to the Kapuso station. When queried by a colleague how she would assay… Read More »

The nation is angry; who isn’t?

“Kahindik-hindik” (horrifying). That was how Commission on Audit Chairman Ma. Gracia Pulido-Tan described the anomalies involving the misuse of billions of pesos in funds coming from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or simply the pork barrel. Perhaps a better word would be “nakakasuka” (makes one vomit). The COA special audit report all but confirmed the series of… Read More »

The Love that stopped the Gun

Every time we turn on the television or glance at the newspapers, there has seemed to be a report of an act of violence; gunshots killing teenagers, a son stabbing his own mother to death, drive -by shootings, and mass killings in malls, theaters, schools and other places where people normally gather. The headline or breaking news for… Read More »