A YEAR ago yesterday, President Aquino uttered the line that would forever define his image—if not in history, then at least in the country’s short tradition of presidential inaugurations. “Kayo ang boss ko,” he said, in the process triggering a massive landslide of misinterpretations. We do not think he meant he would govern by public [...]
THIS IS a continuation of the confessions of some of the accused in the assassination of Dr. Gerry Ortega as summarized by the three-man team of prosecutors that conducted the preliminary investigation. This is the confession of Rodolfo Edrad Jr. alias “Bumar”: On Jan. 15, 2011, Edrad went to Armando Noel’s house in Pagbilao, Quezon, [...]
THE FOREIGN investor is concerned not so much about economic protectionism but about government changing the rules mid-stream. This I learned at a forum on Tuesday this week, sponsored by the Action for Economic Reform, a group of economists and lawyers, who sat down with the foreign chambers of commerce to discuss the laws regulating [...]
PRESIDENT AQUINO ended yesterday his first year in office clutching at straws to show proof that the country has moved forward and is in a better shape than it was when he took power from the most reviled government since the Marcos dictatorship. The country was not in a celebratory mood (there was little to [...]
P-NOY MARKED his first year in office yesterday, speaking at the launch of the Pilipinas Natin movement, and recalling before his largely youthful audience the “sins” of the previous administration and the mood that prevailed over the nation at the time he took office. Commentators took note of the long list of campaign promises he [...]
GREEN IS the color of the season. Green is often associated with De La Salle University as blue is with the Ateneo de Manila. Green used to be associated with Gilbert Teodoro as blue is to Mar Roxas and yellow with Noynoy Aquino. When I had Rizal’s boyhood home painted green, citizens of Calamba saw [...]
SOME TIME back I was talking with some friends about the Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000, which extends certain benefits to both solo fathers and mothers, for example, up to seven calendar days of leave each year. There was a palpable moment of silence from my friends and then one of them remarked, “Isn’t [...]
It is so difficult to end this series, especially when I know the story is far from over. And I, too, have to end my trip to the US in a few days and return to my home and homeland. My question, ” What is the Filipino-American?”, has found answers, some new but mostly affirmations [...]
MANY VITAL issues are begging for solutions. These have to be dealt with promptly and judiciously as well. 1. After the devastating flood caused by tropical storm “Ondoy” on Sept. 26, 2009, many suggestions were offered in various forums to avoid a similar recurrence or mitigate its impact. Sad to say, one year and seven [...]
I JUST renewed my property insurance and was surprised to find out that the premium had doubled since the last time I paid. It appears that the Insurance Commission (IC) under Circular No. 21-2010 has “prescribed a minimum rate xxx for risks such as earthquake xxx and typhoon and flood xxx which rates are added [...]
IN BOY del Mundo’s June 23 Special Report, he wrote: “Cory Aquino refused to see Laurel, a former senator who had organized the opposition during the martial law years, gave up his lifelong ambition to rally the anti-Marcos forces behind the widow of his boyhood friend in the snap election of 1986 that preceded the [...]
TWICE I have reminded the Government Service Insurance System, through its current president and general manager, about the refund of my salary loan in the amount of P27,000. The salary loan was deducted from the proceeds of my insurance sometime in the early 1970s. When I retired and collected my retirement in 2009, the amount [...]
