I SPENT four days and three nights in Hong Kong for a much-needed vacation during the holidays with my family, including my four grandchildren.
Onboard the newest PAL plane en route to Hong Kong was former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada, who was just two seats away. Erap greeted me and my wife profusely and told me [...]

A few years ago I expressed my reluctance to support any plan to include nuclear power in our energy program. At the time, the memories of the Three-Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear power accidents were still fresh in people’s (and my) minds.
The Three-Mile Island accident of 1979 was a partial core meltdown in Unit 2 [...]

To everyone, a blessed New Year!
I have taken notice of the Philippine flag displayed and flown outside the building housing the main office of the National Statistics Office (NSO) on Sta. Mesa Boulevard.
I have passed this building not far from Malacañang several times and I have never failed to notice that the flag, similar to [...]

LAST week I suggested a deeper look into the government’s stimulus spending, given the disappointing performance of the economy during the first nine months of 2009.
Today I’m worried because the government is planning to reduce its pump-priming activities next year to ensure that it meets its three-year deficit- reduction goal.
I recall that my previous concern [...]

Where is the stepson of a diplomat whose name is Jason Ivler and who was clearly identified as the one who murdered the son of Undersecretary Renato Ebarle of the Office of the President?
Just a month or so ago, the media were filled with stories about the case and the frustration of the police and [...]

For the record, the government’s actions and that of the soldiers in the aftermath of the Maguindanao massacre were all calibrated to ensure that the law is followed to the letter. The declaration of martial law was in keeping with the provisions of the Constitution and prompted by evidence discovered and which confronted law enforcers [...]

THE International Monetary Fund (IMF), traditionally the least confident about the Philippine economy, announced on November 25 that it was raising its GDP (gross domestic product) growth forecast for this year to 1.5 percent, from the previous estimate of 1.0 percent.
The next day, November 26, the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) announced that GDP grew [...]

Let me once again discuss this neglected provision in the Constitution which now seems to be a dead letter for the simple reason that since the 1987 Constitution went into effect, this provision was never implemented.
The constitutional provision is found in Article X, Section 9, which says: “Legislative bodies of local governments shall have sectoral [...]

EXPERIENCE is one of the most important qualities of a leader, particularly one who runs a country. As I once wrote in this column, this is particularly true for the Philippines, which has been struggling to avoid recession and sustain growth amid a global crisis.
This time I would like to talk about the leader’s “Day [...]

Surveys after surveys after surveys have consistently indicated that the Liberal Party bet is the heavy favorite to win the presidency. This obviously stemmed mostly from the emotional upsurge on the death of former President Cory Aquino, and later buttressed by the continuing subtle push of ABS-CBN and the Philippine Daily Inquirer which now and [...]