COTABATO CITY—With reporters in tow, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia flew into the city on a C-130 plane early Monday, Nov. 4, to witness the opening of the six-day filing of certificates of candidacy (CoCs) and manifestations of intent to participate (MIPs) in the May 2025 elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in...
The ebb and flow of history is such that the scum that was washed away eventually returns to shore. The problem is, unless we are able to clean the Sea of Human Nature, it comes back thicker and in greater volume. A cursory survey of current events makes one realize that everything has happened before....
True to form, Sen. Risa Hontiveros battled mightily to prevent the dignity of the Senate, such as what it has become, from being fully shredded at the start of the inquiry into extrajudicial killings during Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal “war on drugs.” But for Hontiveros’ efforts the upper chamber would have been in complete thrall to...
(Last of two parts) The Sanggunian Kabataan (SK) law and Bangsamoro Electoral Code define and prohibit political dynasties. However, these laws only cover the SK and Bangsamoro parliamentary elections. In national and local elections, clans continue to consolidate political and economic power. Based on the electoral plans for May 2025 of district representatives belonging to...
(First of two parts) Fathers and mothers passing on their government posts to sons and daughters, as if these were family heirlooms, is nothing new. But election watchdogs said it was jarring to watch political dynasties flaunt their power during the week-long filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) this October. It’s as if Oct. 1...
We’ve seen sibling pairs in the Senate, as well as mother-and-son tandems. But three brothers? If the pre-election polls hold until May 12, 2025, neophyte Sen. Raffy Tulfo will be welcoming two of his brothers to the Senate—fellow news broadcasters Erwin and Ben, who ranked first and second in the September 2024 Pulse Asia senatorial...
A certain Rosmar Tan, described as a social media influencer, is running for councilor in Manila in the May 2025 midterm elections. Here’s her sound bite: “Aanhin pa ang katalinuhan sa law o anuman po …” Or: What good is knowledgeability in law or whatever …? The lawyer Vince Tañada, who is also a movie and stage producer,...
Like her father, mother and brother before her, Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar is entering the 2025 senatorial race with more resources than her rivals for her advertising campaign. She has billboards and posters all over the country, and has ads on TV. She is also among the top ad spenders on Meta, formerly Facebook,...
More than 5,000 employees are at risk of losing their jobs following Sulu’s shocking exit from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) ahead of its first parliamentary elections in May 2025. As leaders debate the far-reaching political ramifications of the Supreme Court’s ruling excluding the province from the region, the BARMM government is...
LEGAZPI CITY—Former senator and Liberal Party president Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is mulling a comeback to the Senate in next year’s midterm elections, but this would depend on his prospects of winning. “I’m inclined to seek reelection, but I have not finalized my plans because I also want to see my chances [in the] polling,” he...
