Category Archives: Columns

LAST WEEK’S COLUMN ON THE 36TH ANNIVERSARY of martial law triggered fresh anxieties of one-person rule. After all, Ferdinand Marcos imposed it 15 months before his term was to end on Dec. 30, 1973. With only 21 months left of President Macapagal-Arroyo’s term, many have asked, “What are the chances of reliving martial law in our country?” Continue reading →

MANILA, Philippines–Today, 36 years ago, Ferdinand Marcos imposed martial law. More accurately, Proclamation 1081—the edict declaring martial law, though dated Sept. 21, 1972—was actually signed by Marcos and enforced on the evening of the day after, Sept. 22. Continue reading →

MANILA, Philippines–The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is dead but the Mindanao peace process is still alive. A major player that keeps this process moving is Malaysia. It chairs the international team that monitors the peace talks. Team members include Libya, Brunei and Japan. All of them, except Japan, have sent soldiers to help maintain the Mindanao peace. Japan is represented by a civilian reconstruction expert. Continue reading →

MANILA, Philippines–Days after the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order stopping the signing of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD), a prominent Cabinet member asked me what I thought of the tribunal’s action. Continue reading →

MANILA, Philippines–With the GRP-MILF-MOA in limbo and the Republic of the Philippines at war with rogue MILF forces, President Macapagal-Arroyo’s partisans could no longer use the peace process to show the alleged urgency of Charter change. Incredibly, the MOA seeks to parcel out our country’s territory and to subvert its sovereignty. Amazing how anyone could have expected our people to ratify these villainous propositions. Continue reading →

MANILA, Philippines–Last Aug. 17, Patricio A. Garcia, lawyer, CPA and director-treasurer of the Philippine Daily Inquirer was laid to rest. In tribute to a close friend who helped nurture, quietly but strategically, this newspaper to where it is today, I would like to reproduce my eulogy for him at the St. James Church in Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa. I began with a quote from the Good Book, thus: Continue reading →

“ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR CHA-CHA,” SCREAMED the headlines a few days ago. “We advocate federalism as a way to ensure long-lasting peace in Mindanao,” President Macapagal-Arroyo told visiting Swiss President Pascal Couchepin. Continue reading →

LAST SUNDAY, I DISCUSSED TWO RECENT American cases that affect our people. First, on June 12, 2008, the US Supreme Court (USSC) rejected, at least in this instance, the claim of Filipino human rights victims over the $35 million Marcos deposit in a US bank, on the ground that the Philippines, which also claims the deposit, could not be sued in US courts because of its “sovereign immunity.” Continue reading →

YEARLY, THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT (USSC) churns out about 80 to 100 judgments that affect not only Americans but, often, also the rest of the world, including the Philippines. Composed of nine justices, the USSC begins its sessions in October and ends them in June. Appeals to the USSC come from the 50 state Supreme Courts and the various circuits of the US Court of Appeals. Only about one percent of these appeals is accepted by the USSC. The rest are deemed rejected. Several recent USSC decisions affect us. Continue reading →

LAST SUNDAY, I POSED TWO QUESTIONS TO BE answered today: Will our Congress, Supreme Court, Commission on Elections and people allow Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to stay in power after June 30, 2010? Realistically, can GMA—unlike Ferdinand Marcos (FM)—extend her reign without martial law? Continue reading →