Power is an addiction

MANILA Power is so addictive, those who hold it want to keep it as long as possible. This early Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s people are laying the groundwork for a possible extension of his term. Earlier presidents tried to stay beyond their terms. Fidel Ramos’ drumbeaters made an attempt but they did it too late. It was already… Read More »

Racism has no place in America

“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” This repulsive comment did not come from the mouth of a Ku Klux Klan member or a known neo-Nazist, but the leader of a nation made great by people from all races and from all over the world, including those who came from countries US President… Read More »

A RACIST ACT FOR ROBIN?

  In the recent airing of Pilipinas Got Talent, Robin Padilla who’s one of the judges stirred a brouhaha . A Korean Jiwan Kim who was a contestant sort of enraged Robin. He reprimanded the Korean that the fact the latter has stayed in the Philipines for 10 years, he should know how to speak the Filipino language.… Read More »

Lots of Ways to Say I Love You

Behind the silver screen, professional sports, high-level politics, so on and so forth – locally and internationally, calls to uphold gender equality and dignity, due protection against dehumanization of all sorts and women empowerment have been espoused and heard.        The movement has expanded. Support groups have mushroomed. At the most, (e.g. #MeToo, #It’s Never Okay and others) have… Read More »

BlowHotBlowCold    

  From South of the Border-Mainstream Media (MSM) spreads fake news again If the mainstream media could devote just one-tenth the energy to fact-checking that they do to wailing indignantly about President Trump’s accusing them of spreading “fake news,” maybe they wouldn’t be spreading so much fake news.  This past week brought such a silo of fake news,… Read More »

How did EJKs become an achievement?

MANILA Only someone with a mental condition would call the killings of thousands of people an achievement. And yet, that is one of the “achievements” claimed by the Duterte administration here in their year-end report. And if we Filipinos just keep quiet and accept that as a fact, then there’s something wrong with us, too. Even before the… Read More »

Do we really need cha-cha?

  Here we go again.   Every administration since the time of President Fidel V. Ramos has tried to amend the 1987 Constitution for various reasons. The people have consistently rejected the idea of amending the Philippine constitution in surveys after surveys, and yet the move to amend that sacred document, in what is commonly called “cha-cha,” surfaces… Read More »

PHENOMENAL VERGEL CLAN

Trivia: Having constant communication with actress-director Beverly Vergel, this writer can’t help but recount anew her family background. It’s worth to say a phenomenal Vergel clan in showbiz. Her late mom Alicia Vergel was considered the most versatile actress of her generatton. She excelled be in drama, comedy or action as well. That time, for her looks she… Read More »