On August 23, 2010, President Aquino had barely warmed his seat in Malacanang when a disgruntled police officer hijacked a tourist bus and took hostage several Hongkong tourists, touching off a crisis that tested Aquino’s mettle in leadership and diplomacy. Eight of the tourists were killed along with the hijacker in the bungled rescue operation that was witnessed… Read More »
AMID the escalating tensions in the South China Sea, the United States remains non-committal, emboldening China to intensify its aggressive behavior in the disputed waters and to continue its bullying tactics over its neighboring countries. The silence of the American government followed the intrusion early this month by a fleet of Chinese fishing vessels, two large civilian ships… Read More »
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 »
CHICAGO (FAXX/jGLi) – Less talk, less mistake. No talk, no mistake. This appears to be the mantra adopted by Vice President Jojo Binay’s daughter, Nancy Binay, whom I will not be voting for senator in the May 13 mid-term elections. By snubbing fellow senatorial candidate Risa Hontiveros of Team PNoy to a debate, United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) candidate… Read More »
Looking north as you are driving on the South Luzon Expressway near the Alabang Exit, you’d think you are in a highly progressive country, with skyscrapers dotting the skyline of Metro Manila, from Manila on the left side through Pasig and Mandaluyong in the middle and Makati on the right side. Almost anywhere you go in Metro Manila,… Read More »
With the mid-term elections barely behind us, the attention of Philippine politicians would soon be focused on the presidential elections in 2016. Many political pundits believe that with the overwhelming victory of President Aquino’s Team P-Noy in the senatorial elections, whoever he anoints for the 2016 elections would almost certainly be the next president of the Philippines. It’s… Read More »
CHICAGO (FAXX/jGLi) — In some parts of the United States, anybody who wants to vote can do so by registering to vote: a) in person or by mail, by completing a mail-in registration form and delivering it to his city or town election officer; or b) at any local election office in any city or town in the… Read More »
People from all over the world come to Canada in thousands every year to settle and start a new life. The Philippines has always been one of the top ten source countries of immigrants to Canada. There were several years when Filipinos made up the first five largest groups of immigrants. Aside from those who come in with… Read More »
My kabarangays, my friends, and folks I talk with seem to be generally contented with the outcome of the midterm elections. Being also an exercise to vote for local elective officials, the public expected and feared violence to ensue between and among political rivals in towns and provinces especially those far from the center of the respective local… Read More »
It is two weeks before the Philippine midterm elections as I write this column. I hope my kababayans are like me, quite excited about going to the polling precincts to cast their very important votes. Already, I am listing down my choices for senators and of course, the local officials who will lead my home city of Quezon.… Read More »