Last week’s Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) mobilization along Edsa, later moved to Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila, has invited comparison with the two great People Power uprisings that changed Philippine history. The comparison, while absurd, is understandable. The gatherings occupied the same symbolic space. They involved large crowds. They attracted national attention. But beyond these superficial...
Category: Opinion
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The INC mobilization is a test of Philippine institutions
Public demonstrations often become defining moments not because of the number of people in the streets but because of the constitutional questions they raise. The unannounced mobilization on June 30 involving members of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) following the Ombudsman’s announced plan to charge Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, an INC member, with plunder is one...
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Can the truth prevail in dark politics?
People are truthful by default. In theory, this should create a fair and honest world with fewer heartbreak, less crime, better education, and bigger tax refund. Yet here we are, seemingly trapped in a political enterprise where liars get to lead and fools follow. We can all lie, indeed, even a squirrel or a 2-year-old...
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What I have learned from the Jesuits
It is not often that I reflect on the formal education I received from the Jesuits, which was from elementary school to sophomore year in college at Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan. But the tragic drowning of Ateneo de Manila University men’s basketball players Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili on June 8 and Ateneo’s mishandling...
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Beauty pageants and putting lipstick on a pig
What people don’t realize about beauty pageants is that they are never just about beauty. Beyond the glittering gowns, practiced smiles, and stage lights bright enough to blind, there are girls silently suffering as they pretend to look effortlessly beautiful—feet bruised from high heels, stomachs upset by stress, and minds weighed down by the effort...
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Is Senate abolition the best option?
What good is an institution that does much harm, has lost its way, and many of whose members steal from the people, circumvent the law, cause divisiveness and discord, pursue their vested interests, and entrench themselves further in power? Clearly, far from good. Nowadays, this is an apt description of the Philippine Senate: far from...
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Tenderness and ‘heroes’ at the Cayetano bloc’s blue ribbon committee hearing
There was tenderness galore on Thursday at the blue ribbon committee hearing of the bloc led by Alan Peter Cayetano, by his own declaration “the legitimate, legal and moral Senate President.” Ignoring the changes made on Wednesday in the chamber’s power structure by the 12-member majority led by Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian, Cayetano...
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A time for sacrifice, a time for statesmanship
The strength of a democracy is measured not only by the quality of its leaders but also by the resilience of its institutions. Among these institutions, the Senate occupies a unique place. Designed by the Constitution to be a deliberative body and a check against the excesses of power, it is expected to rise above...
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When the Senate majority senators stage a ‘boycott’
The majority senators led by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano were nowhere to be seen at the scheduled start of the 5 p.m. session on Monday and well into the evening. There was neither word nor explanation to the minority bloc (all 11 present and accounted for). Shortly the man posted online that the minority...
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Incompetent law enforcement is laughable but not funny
Law enforcement in our country is notorious for its incompetence and downright criminal behavior. The police force is also widely perceived to be corrupt. Indeed, many of its personnel are either administratively or criminally liable for various offenses, from extortion to grave misconduct to extrajudicial killings. According to the National Police Commission or Napolcom, during the...