Farewell, Mike Sueño

With less than a year in office, President Rodrigo Duterte has already sacked a high-ranking Cabinet official of his administration. Interior and local government (DILG) honcho, Ismael “Mike” Sueño was axed from his post due to the President having a “lack of confidence” and a “lack of trust” in his ability to serve.

Too Much Rest?

Jack Nicholson’s character in ‘The Shining’ immortalized the old adage: “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” The proverb describes the importance of having a respite from strenuous activity or risk ruining oneself. If we hold that to be true, can we assume that having too much rest can pose negative consequences […]

Classic Pinoy Commercials We All Miss

Before the digital age when a majority of the population use the internet for their entertainment and information needs, television sets were an integral part of the Filipino way of life. We all remember watching primetime telenovelas after having supper, this was our way of bonding after a long day at work or school.

Happy Birthday, President Duterte

They say as you get older, you get better. At 72 years old, you should be a stellar role model to your contemporaries. You should be one of the most responsible, most tactful and wisest individual among your peers at that age. President Rodrigo Duterte turns 72 today, yet he doesn’t resemble anything like a wise Solomon. […]

An Enemy in our Backyard

Not long ago, the Abu Sayaff were deemed too weak to even be considered a “terrorist group” and were instead dismissed as a decrepit bunch of bandits operating in the lawless corners of Mindanao. This week, a top official from a foreign country made the grave threat that these very “bandits” could establish the next stronghold […]

Remembering Marlene Esperat

Being a whistleblower for government corruption should reward you as a hero, unfortunately in the Philippines exposing injustice in the bureaucracy would devastate your life instead. While the trial is ongoing you live your life under a reclusive witness protection program, denying you of employment and from living a normal life, only to see the accused […]

No More Mr. Tough Guy?

President Rodrigo Duterte is known worldwide for his no-holds barred, tough-talking persona. He ordered his police force to show no mercy to drug dealers, he tells his military to be relentless against insurgents and even threatened corrupt members of the bureaucracy with death if they do not straighten up. Now, all that tough-talking seems to […]

Remembering Charlie de Rosario: The First Desaparecido

The topic of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) has been dominating headlines recently, because of the number of fatalities in President Duterte’s brutal crackdown on drugs. It is a hot issue both domestically but has also gained traction in the international news media. Many observers, particularly foreigners, fail to understand that (EJKs) have been commonplace in the […]

Returning the “Force” in Air Force

There used to be a running joke that the Philippine Air Force (PAF) was “all air” and “no force” – a jibe at the fact that the country’s air defense arsenal is among the weakest in the world. Since 2005 the PAF has relied on the use of their helicopter fleet, with not a single jet-engine […]

Remembering the Ozone Disco Tragedy

On the night of the 18th of March 1996 hundreds of youthful party-goers saw their lives cut short by a tragedy. Of the estimated 350 patrons merrymaking at the Ozone Disco Nightclub in Quezon City that night, 160 of them would never see their respective families again. The fire that sparked just before midnight razed the building to the ground, […]