Law’s existence no assurance that rule of law will prevail
This refers to the articles titled “Ati Leader in Boracay gunned down” (Inquirer, 2/24/13) and “Dexter Condez: A voice of courage for Ati folk” (Inquirer, 3/2/13).
This refers to the articles titled “Ati Leader in Boracay gunned down” (Inquirer, 2/24/13) and “Dexter Condez: A voice of courage for Ati folk” (Inquirer, 3/2/13).
The die is cast. As of this writing, the situationers we at the Inquirer have been receiving from the ground since Saturday indicate nothing less than very bloody developments.
The newest scandal in the Senate, the funneling of P195 million in pork barrel funds by three incumbent senators (Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, Bong Revilla) and a former party-list congressman (Buhay Rep. Rene Velarde) to a dubious nongovernment organization is one more proof that the pork barrel system should be abolished. The pork barrel, alias Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), is not only a waste of taxpayers’ money, it is a big root of corruption. It is no secret that a big portion of PDAF funds go to kickbacks. It is not only the legislators and contractors who are corrupted but also lowly employees who handle the documents.
Unintended scheduling irony, or the inevitable clash of religious and secular calendars? The Christmas season, according to the Catholic liturgical calendar, ended on Saturday night; the following day, the season that is perhaps least Christmas-like in spirit officially began. We are referring, of course, to the election period.
The public agony that often accompanies random acts of violence has plunged policymakers into another orgy of blame, shame and posturing. The shock is magnified by State inaction following a heinous massacre in 2009 that failed to dent the laws and policies governing the ownership and trading of firearms. A powerful clan was accused in that massacre. The targets were other politicians, lawyers and media workers. Much of the violence was selective in nature.
Only a week old, and the year 2013 is already groaning under the weight of a terrible burden: the death, by gun, of many innocents.
If you’re a parent, you’d know the feeling. In fact, if you’re someone’s brother or sister, you’d know the feeling. Still in fact, if you’re just a human being you’d know the feeling.
How should a student respond when he or she becomes the object of bullying?
Almost 18 months after the onset of popular-democratic protests, the Syrian revolution increasingly resembles a bloody marathon with no clear finish line on the horizon. Unlike the “lightning” revolutions in North Africa, namely Tunisia and Egypt, which took only few weeks to overthrow Arab strongmen such as Mubarak and Ben Ali, the Syrian uprising has instead replicated a “slow-motion disintegration” of the rich tapestry that has characterized the Syrian society for centuries.
It spread quicker than a bushfire in a season of drought, crossing continents and oceans, erasing racial divisions, unifying varied ideologies and, ominously and terrifyingly, gathering wind enough to fan an inferno. Is this the beginning of World War III? The enemy: the United States of America, still the world’s superpower that has invaded Afghanistan and Iraq and killed Osama bin Laden, with the primary objective of cornering the world’s oil supply.
People in America today live in the shadow of fear and violence. With an average of 20 mass killings a year since the late 1970s, according to criminology professor James Alan Fox, this country has got to be the most violent in the world. Is this the price of being the world’s most powerful nation?
The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress. (Job 37:23) In a span of 10 months—from October 2011 to the present, three incidents of pointless ambushes were reported in the island of Basilan. These claimed a total of 17 precious lives and [...]
