Atty. Gregorio Larrazabal

The Trump ripple effect

Earlier this month, the US elections happened.  Though it was an election where only Americans cast their vote, the shockwaves were felt all over the world.

When we vote, we win

I am writing this column from Washington DC, where I’m an official observer of the US Presidential Elections, participating in the IFES US Election Program.  This will be the third US elections I’m officially observing.  Through the years, I’ve noticed a shift in the political discourse that happens during the lead-up to election day.  The rhetoric, specially coming from the camp of former US President Donald Trump, has ushered the political discourse to depths never seen before.

Seeds of change

The same typhoons that can increase agricultural water supply and cause soil erosion improving its fertility, in severe and frequent measures, damage farm structure facilities. While we are yet to see the full impact of tropical storm Leon in our area of responsibility, something we ask the good heavens to never happen at all especially in light of what meteorologists identify as the Fujiwara effect, we answer the question of food security on a daily basis. In the vernacular, the phrase “malapit sa sikmura” fittingly describes how visceral the issue is and the resolutions, imperative. 

Metering justice

Midway through the celebration of the National Indigenous People’s Month pursuant to Proclamation No. 1906, series of 2009, let us not ignore the challenges they confront in accessing reliable and affordable energy. While those from the more developed areas are not spared from the high electricity bills and occasional power outages, energy crisis hits the more vulnerable populations differently. In April 2023, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Occidental Mindoro declared a state of calamity due to low power supply, followed shortly by the City Council of the Island City of Samal.

The sovereign we

Early in this brief eight-day window for the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COCs), Filipinos cannot remain oblivious to the motions, from premature to profound, leading to the 2025 electoral exercise. Our Commission on Elections (Comelec) and advocates from the private sector have been diligent in reminding the public of the voter registration deadline. Given the good results of the Register Anywhere Program (RAP), our poll body is well-positioned to expand its reach by involving municipalities, if not barangays, in the future.