HOTSPOTWhen the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had died, people were again fascinated that it took major wire agencies, international print and broadcast media “only minutes” to release long-form obit stories and video packages about him.That’s part of their jobs. In the case of the New...
HOTSPOTFandoms of traditional politicians are fighting among themselves for the glory of who should be credited for saving the life and working for the return of Mary Jane Veloso. It is a despicable exercise of trapo worship at the expense of Veloso, and an insult to overseas Filipinos and to...
HOTSPOTFormer President Rodrigo Duterte and his former spokesperson Sal Panelo were supposed to throw a fit at the House of Representatives after the QuadComm initially moved the hearing. It would be a chance to malign the House and be the defiant hero of the day, right in the premises of the...
HOTSPOTAs I write this, Kamala Harris has conceded her defeat and has called Donald Trump to congratulate him on his victory. The electoral college tally stands at 226 for Harris and 295 for Trump. Republicans won back control of the Senate, and may possibly keep the House leadership.Like many, I...
HOTSPOT Former president Duterte’s appearance this week before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee could be the beginning of the end for this sad chapter in our history.Many were furious that Sen. Koko Pimentel, the hearing’s chairman, allowed the former president to speak freely, even without...
HOTSPOTAs I write this, a tropical storm continues to inundate huge parts of Luzon, with water volume and floods never before experienced in many areas. The impacted area is so huge, the impact so profound, and millions affected that it is quite certain that Kristine (international name: Trami)...
HOTSPOTIf anyone told us soon after the May 2022 elections that by October 2024, there would be marathon hearings in the House and Senate holding the Duterte administration accountable, nobody would have believed it.Neither would we believe any prediction then that Congress would take on Sara...
HOTSPOTThere are days when I wake up and forget. I would think that I would have lunch with Mama or imagine visiting our house to see her. It would take a moment to gather my thoughts and reconcile with the fact that she’s gone.In a fortnight, it would be two years since the October shock of 2022....
HOTSPOTAs I write this, the filing of Certificates of Candidacy and Certificates of Nomination and Acceptance by aspirants is in full swing at venues designated by the Commission on Elections. Many, or most of the declared candidates have been met with groans and moans.While the filing period is...
HOTSPOTFilipinos have a special level of disdain for traditional politicians who, after winning the elections, pamper their bailiwicks while punishing barangays or neighborhoods that did not vote for them. The same goes for the sore losers who blame voters for not seeing the “wisdom” of choosing...
HOTSPOTThe House and Senate hearings into Vice President Sara Duterte’s confidential funds, the Duterte administration’s bloody drug war, and POGOs, including those involving characters like Alice Guo, are an absolutely welcome development.Cynics say the hearings can only be political or...
HOTSPOTIf there are what we could consider among the most essential government programs, two would be quite familiar to many Filipinos, and I suppose nobody would question the decision of the House appropriations committee to raise the budget for them by a whopping ₱1.29 billion.Committee senior...
