WE’VE all heard about the infamous “cong-tractors” in Congress — construction companies riding on the party-list system to get elected into Congress not only to protect their business allegedly but also reportedly to make business. Another object of curiosity lately is business interest in highly regulated or public interest companies, especially those dealing with health….
IN the labyrinth of Philippine justice, there is a world of difference between a person who looks the law in the eye, and one who treats the departure gate as a gateway to freedom. As the Sandiganbayan deliberates on the bail petitions of several DPWH Region 4B officials and engineers caught in the whirlwind of…
THERE are legislators who do our people good by devoting their time and resources pursuing their chosen advocacies, consulting sectors to build consensus behind these pet causes or policies, and shepherding legislation on advancing such worthy concerns. And then there are legislators like Eli San Fernando of the Kampihan ng mga Maralita at Manggagawa, or…
AS the traffic situation in Metro Manila has become a nightmare worse than that of the grim scenario painted in Elm Street, the completion of the Metro Manila Subway — the planning and construction of which has spanned three administrations and is seen extending to the next — is viewed as providing some sort of…
JUST days before 2025 ended, we were treated to an exchange of barbs between some Philippine government officials and the Chinese Embassy here in Manila. Ironically, this started when a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy ship assisted a Filipino fisherman whose boat got stranded somewhere in the contested areas in the South China Sea. Aside…
WE’RE barely into the new year, but it seems we should be expecting an extension of fireworks display when Congress resumes session on Jan. 26. But of course, that would be limited to the halls of the House in the Batasang Pambansa. This was after Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon averred before 2025 ended that…
IT seems the more he talks, the more he exposes himself to be an unreliable source. When Batangas Congressman Leandro Leviste first revealed he had in his possession a list of government officials allegedly involved in anomalous infrastructure projects that the late Department of Public Works and Highways undersecretary Catalina Cabral had entrusted him, Filipinos…
AS I have stated on Tuesday, Dec. 23, I will now reply to the letter of Mr. Joel Locsin, the media relations officer of Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, which was actually in response to my Dec. 19 column titled “From bravado to childish tantrums.” On his assertion that “Sen. Lacson made it clear that he…
I HAVE never been fond of Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson. He may have been acquitted in the Kuratong Baleleng and the Corbito-Dacer double murder case, albeit in controversial fashion. But those two cases still linger in the memories of those old enough to have lived through those incidents, which played a great part in the…
SUPREME Court (SC) justices said that no criminal liability could be attached to Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, who, as then-Finance secretary, acted in good faith when he ordered the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to remit its unused funds worth P60 billion to the national treasury. “To hold Secretary Recto liable in any way whatsoever…