Category Archives: Columns

What kind of a leader is the new Archbishop of Manila, Luis Antonio G. Tagle? What are his vision, mission, values and plans? Does he have an activist streak, an inclination to lead another People Power revolution? Will he speak out on public issues? Or will he be conservative and stay close to faith and morals in leading the people of God? Continue reading →

Social justice is giving more law to those who have less in life, so goes a favorite adage. But for the farmworker-beneficiaries (FWBs) of Hacienda Luisita, the grant of more law may not be enough. Social justice should give them both the means to lift themselves out of destitution and the freedom to transform themselves and their children from blue-collar workers to white-collar professionals and entrepreneurs. And those means and freedom should be theirs now, not later, not after debilitating decades of more wrangling and unrest. Continue reading →

The Supreme Court resolved on Nov. 22, 2011 to invalidate the 1989 Stock Distribution Plan (SDP) of Hacienda Luisita. In lieu of the SDP, the Court ordered the parceling of the huge estate consisting of 4,915.75 hectares (about twice of Makati’s 2,736 hectares) for eventual distribution to the 6,296 qualified farmworker-beneficiaries (FWBs). Continue reading →

Accountability. This one word sums up the Aquino administration’s goal in barring former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from leaving the country. The administration wants to hold Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo accountable for electoral sabotage — a case of which has been filed by the Commission on Elections in the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Pasay — and for corruption, plunder and several other serious indictments pending in the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) and in the Department of Justice. Continue reading →

The shocking murder of Ramgen Bautista, allegedly masterminded by his brother RJ and sister Ramona, has unfolded conflicts and rivalries among the many children of former Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr. (Jose Acuña Bautista in real life). Continue reading →

“Flight is an admission of guilt,” exclaimed Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. upon learning that his half-sister, Maria Ramona Bautista, sneaked out of the country the day after her full blood brother Ramgen Bautista was shot and stabbed to death. The police tagged Ramona and her younger brother Ramon Joseph (RJ) as prime suspects in Ramgen’s murder. Continue reading →

The most gruesome murder of this century – the senseless shooting, mangling and “back-hoeing” of 57 defenseless civilians (32 were journalists) in Maguindanao province on Nov. 23, 2009 – was allegedly masterminded by the powerful Ampatuan clan and carried out by 187 malefactors. Unfortunately, the murder case is at present still languishing after two years despite the trial court’s singular effort in hearing it twice a week with two witnesses per hearing day. Continue reading →

The most gruesome murder of this century – the senseless shooting, mangling and “back-hoeing” of 57 defenseless civilians (32 were journalists) in Maguindanao province on Nov. 23, 2009 – was allegedly masterminded by the powerful Ampatuan clan and carried out by 187 malefactors. Unfortunately, the murder case is at present still languishing after two years despite the trial court’s singular effort in hearing it twice a week with two witnesses per hearing day. Continue reading →

Pursuant to the Anti-Graft Law the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN) of the president, vice president, Cabinet members, senators, congressmen and other high government officials — except those of justices and judges — are always released to media at the start of their term and every year thereafter. Why are magistrates exempted? Readers pop this query all the time. Continue reading →

This year marks the 75th anniversary, the Diamond Jubilee, of Student Catholic Action (SCA). For the lolos and lolas of my generation, SCA was the melting pot of our aspirations. We were “An Army of Youth” that fought for Christ the King in the campuses everywhere. Continue reading →