HOTSPOT Like many of my friends, I was surprised by the recent Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) rally that appeared to be against the impeachment process being initiated against the Vice President. Then, many were surprised to find out that a group called “National Coalition for the Family and the...
HOTSPOT This week, I had the opportunity to visit Bacacay, a small town in Albay. The town’s patroness is St. Rose of Lima, formerly the principal co-patroness of the Philippines alongside St. Prudentiana until 1942, when Pope Paul XII declared the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of...
HOTSPOT Perhaps one of the first big political frustrations of my college contemporaries happened nearly three decades ago. It wasn’t about a presidential election, but the selection of our paper’s editor-in-chief. Going into the selection process, we were confident that our aspirant had the...
HOTSPOT My sister’s first grandson Calix was supposed to visit Friday, his birthday, but a hopelessly-inept work manager texted his mother late Thursday to take back the approved leave because the company would be understaffed. Why that became our family problem that the work manager even went so...
HOTSPOT I won’t be able to forget 2024. I would gladly say goodbye to it, but would always remember it for many reasons. On a personal level, this is the year we marked an important family milestone: the birth in February of my sister’s first granddaughter Stella Avery. We were as happy...
HOTSPOT The young ones who are transitioning into adults are wondering why Christmas nowadays seems to be not as fun as when they were kids. They are slowly discovering an age-old secret. This secret is passed on through generations. It is quickly discovered by working students, young breadwinners,...
HOTSPOT In the run-up to International Human Rights Day, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) last week handed out the first-ever IBP Human Rights Awards to the country’s most outstanding human rights lawyers, namely, Edre U. Olalia for Luzon, Kristian Jacob A. Lora for Visayas, and...
HOTSPOT There are only few families in the country who don’t fear getting sick. They are the richest and wealthiest ones – many of them possessing generational wealth, political power or both. Not a few own or partly-own hospitals and medical centers, or are connected with them by sheer...
HOTSPOT Nobody could have imagined in 2022 the developments of the past few weeks and months of 2024. The list is getting longer: the Duterte camp destroying its Uniteam alliance with the Marcos camp; Vice President Sara Duterte resigning from the Department of Education; former president...
HOTSPOT Fandoms 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...
HOTSPOT Former 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...
HOTSPOT As 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...
