FINDING ANSWERS Last week’s Kapihan sa Manila Hotel featured the highly accomplished former Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III, popularly known as Tito Sen, my close friend for almost four decades now, ever since he run and won as vice-mayor of Quezon City in the late ‘80s. At that time, he...
PEACE-MAKER Our heart is filled with deepest gratitude to the Philippine Senate, led by Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, for honoring us with a resolution acknowledging our years in public service and modest contributions to our beloved country. It is a great privilege to be recognized...
OF TREES AND FOREST Araw ng mga Bayani or National Heroes Day was originally commemorated every last Sunday of August. This was based on Republic Act No. 3827 which celebrated the first National Heroes Day on Oct. 28, 1931. When I was Senate President, we passed Republic Act No. 9492 which...
Seven former secretaries of the Department of Finance (DOF) have expressed their support for utilizing excess funds from government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCCs) to finance important government projects. In a joint statement on Tuesday, Aug. 27, the former DOF chiefs said that...
FINDING ANSWERS Last week’s observance of the 41st anniversary of the martyrdom of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino got me reflecting on the significance of what transpired on Aug. 21, 1983. Ninoy’s assassination that day was a turning point in Philippine history. It sparked widespread outrage across...
PEACE-MAKER Thailand made history last August 16 when its parliament elected its youngest-ever prime minister, the 37-year-old Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Paetongtarn is the fourth member of the Shinawatra clan to become prime minister of Thailand. She is the youngest child of Thaksin Shinawatra, who...
Former presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo labeled as "demolition job" on the Dutertes the linking of former president Rodrigo Duterte to the murders of three Chinese detainees in Davao. Former president Rodrigo Duterte and former presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo (File Photo/PCOO)...
Tangere ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo and former president Rodrigo Duterte continue to lead in Tangere’s senatorial preference survey conducted in August, reflecting their sustained popularity ahead of the May 2025 midterm elections. In the survey results, Tulfo secured the top spot,...
OF TREES AND FOREST One of the distinct advantages of being taught by my mother the virtues of hard work and perseverance at an early age was that I generally stayed away from all sorts of vices. By making me focus on the virtues of earning your keep and helping me develop a strong work ethic when...
FINDING ANSWERS The conviction of three former cadets of the Philippine Military Academy for the 2019 hazing death of Darwin Dormitorio should serve as a deterrent to the crime of hazing that was the focus of RA 8049, the original anti-hazing law I authored in 1995, and amended by RA 11053 that...
PEACE-MAKER It was in the beautiful city of Sankt Augustin, Germany in 1998 when we addressed a forum organized by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (Foundation), which is affiliated with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), where we first espoused the idea of an “Asian Dialogue” and which would...
OF TREES AND FOREST Huge congratulations to all the Filipino athletes who just finished the country’s most successful stint in the Olympics. Their talent, hard work, and perseverance produced a total of four medals — two golds and two bronzes. Filipina boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas...
