PEACE-MAKERTriumphant uprisings demonstrate how ordinary citizens in the new countries are courageously claiming their civil liberties and demanding the right to decide their own destinies. “People power” liberations have in recent times taken place in the Arab world, and in both South and...
PEACE-MAKER As a father who devoted many years in public office, we are proud that our son, Christopher, who is approaching the end of his third and final term as congressman, has led the transformation of the fourth district of Pangasinan as a vibrant center for arts, culture, and...
PEACE-MAKERIt 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...
PEACE-MAKERIn an age marked by unprecedented technological advancement and interconnectivity, it is disheartening to see that our world is still plagued by violence, conflicts, and the ravages of war. In various corners of the globe, from the Middle East to Eastern Europe, from Asia to Africa,...
PEACE-MAKERIn our much earlier column, we said that perhaps the confluence of time, circumstance, and geography brought this columnist into close contact with three of the most devastating wars in the world.The first was the Pacific War (1941 to 1945) and the subsequent invasion of Manila by Japan...
PEACE-MAKER (We are reprinting excerpts of our much-earlier column dated April 26, 2020 in memory of our dear friend, the late Sen. Heherson “Sonny” Alvarez, who would have turned 85 years old this Oct. 26, 2024).Former Senator Heherson “Sonny” Alvarez and this columnist saw each other...
PEACE-MAKERIn the course of our modest ventures into political party and parliamentary diplomacy in Asia and the international community, we consistently spoke about the need to develop a system of ideas and ideals that will make globalization work for all our peoples. In our view, the East...
PEACE-MAKERIn February 2011, demonstrations broke out in the Libyan city of Benghazi, which eventually led to the tragic death of Muammar Gaddafi in October the same year at his hometown of Sirte, located between the capital Tripoli and Benghazi. This columnist is no stranger in Libya as we...
PEACE-MAKERLooking back on years spent in public office and the campaigns that shaped them is a mixture of nostalgia, lessons learned the hard way, a clearer understanding of the complexities of public service, and the joy of having contributed to nation-building. Political campaigns are often...
PEACE-MAKEROur Philippine Embassy in Lebanon has called on some 11,000 Filipinos in the country to leave immediately, following the series of explosions in the capital Beirut, South Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley, resulting in about a dozen deaths and some 3,000 injuries. We remember visiting...
PEACE-MAKERSince we retired from public office and narrowed our international engagements, we have been spending more time in our congressional district, which includes our hometown Dagupan City and the towns of Manaoag, San Jacinto, Mangaldan, and San Fabian. We are now, however, more of an...
The Senate resolution honoring the life and legacy of former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. has brought the name of this illustrious gentleman back to the news and opinion sections of media platforms.Hailed as a “towering figure in Philippine politics and governance” by Senator Loren Legarda,...
