Spratlys: Where does Aquino stand?

With the visits of high-ranking military and defense officials from the United States and China in the past two weeks, the dispute over the Spratly islands in the South China Sea has heated up again. Prior to the arrival of Chinese Defense Minister Liang Gaunglie, there were reports that two Chinese naval boats shadowed a Philippine exploration ship… Read More »

A needless ‘war’

By taking the lead role and declaring an “all-out war” against the Reproductive Health Bill, the Philippine Roman Catholic Church has put itself in a precarious position where its standing as the most influential religious group in the country would be put to the test.             The great debate on the merits of two measures pending in both… Read More »

THE SECRETS OF POLITICIANS’ STAYING POWER

CHICAGO (jGLi) – When I was covering the mayor’s offices of Rizal province in the Philippines in the seventies, I was pleasantly surprised to see a mayor of Antipolo in near tears when I told him politicians should pave the way for other aspirants when they had grown tired of their jobs or had run out of ideas… Read More »

THE INFLUENTIAL REVILLA CLAN

From a popular movie star under Sampaguita Pictures in the ‘50s, Ramon Revilla turned a box office star when he  introduced a new trend. That was action fantasy via his agimat roles which his blockbuster starrer Nardong Putik initiated. Ramon had greatly influenced the film makers to come up too with this kind of flicks. Interestingly, Ramon’s success… Read More »

U.S. G.I. MILITARY EQUIPMENT LOADED IN BALIKBAYAN BOXES

CHICAGO (jGLi) —  What started as a tourism come-on by President Marcos to lure overseas Filipinos to visit their homeland has grown into a full-blown commercial enterprise that could jeopardize not only the tourism and overseas banking industries but also defense industry. The Balikbayan (returning Filipino) program gives overseas Filipinos a chance to keep their ties with their… Read More »

Spring Cleaning

Spring is finally here! The tulips in my front yard are all in bloom. The golden sedum is glorious in its bright yellow blossoms. The peonies are starting to peep out on the week end and in three days, they are about ten inches high. The rain had left, the grass lushly green. The chirping of the robins… Read More »

POWER OF THE MIND Part 1

What the mind can do amazes man. What others can do naturally is a mystery to some. The secret is, without heart, the mind is just an organ that functions less than half of its capability. AVV511 There are so many studies about the power of the mind. Some of its known abilities were transformed and brought into… Read More »

On surveys and performance

Malacanang’s first reaction to the 18-point drop in the net satisfaction rating of President Noynoy Aquino was, as usual, to shrug it off. Instead of acknowledging that the administration was cognizant of the fact that it may have disappointed some people, and that the President is doing his best and will continue to exert more effort to achieve… Read More »

Karmic whammy hits Gloria

With the abrupt resignation of Ombudsman Merceditas “Merci” Gutierrez, the door is now wide open for President Benigno “P-Noy” Aquino III to fulfill his election promise of bringing ex-president and now-congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to justice. Indeed, with three cases – and more coming — already filed against her, karmic whammy is hitting Gloria with a punishing jolt… Read More »

One last loyal act

Ma. Merceditas Navarro Gutierrez was just being true to her character when she resigned as Ombudsman a few days before her impeachment trial in the Senate was to have begun. She is an ardent loyalist of the Arroyos – Gloria and Mike. That was the reason, after all, that she was appointed Ombudsman in 2005. Gutierrez’s appointment came… Read More »