Do you believe in surveys? By Al S. Mendoza   SURVEYS have become hot topic again. But that has always been the case. Each time election fever comes around, the business of surveys shares the spotlight. Binay leading.  Poe leading.  Duterte leading. But never Roxas leading.  Or Defensor leading.  Or…

Vintage Duterte wrecks Roxas By Al S. Mendoza   SLAPFEST first.  Fistfight second.  Gun duel third. Those were the recent headline-huggers. But to be sure, none of that had happened. Main characters were Digong Duterte and Mar Roxas. Duterte, the derring-do Davao City mayor running for president in 2016, had…

In Duterte, what you see is what you get By Al S. Mendoza   RODRIGO Duterte and Grace Poe are consistently in the news. What does that tell us? Simply, they are miles and miles ahead in media mileage over their rivals in the presidential elections in May 2016. In…

Duterte’s daring drawing admirers, too By Al S. Mendoza  BAGUIO CITY—The hottest topic nationwide is also the hottest topic here.  I refer to the vulgar-talking Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte, who else? But before I proceed, why am I here again? Well, for the record, I am Co-Chairman of the Rules Committee…

Benny’s solid stand on Duterte sustained By Al S. Mendoza   BENNY Gopez was right all along. “Mayor Duterte will run for President,” Benny had kept telling anyone who cared to listen.  “Mark my word.” You do not know Benny. I know him from head to foot. Relentless and the most…

The cheat By Al S. Mendoza BAGUIO CITY—I am here once again for my yearly vow of working as Rules Official of the Fil-Am Invitational Golf Tournament at both the Baguio Country Club and Camp John Hay. The Seniors 55 years old and above began their play yesterday (Nov. 21)…

The ‘Generals’ By Al S. Mendoza    (Happy birthday to my brothers living in Mangatarem—Kuya Vicente Nov. 7, and Kuya Onie Nov. 10.  I owe you the usual, Kuyas.) *            *           *           * ON the street where I was born is located a vacant lot close to my heart. That…

Betrayal of public trust By Al S. Mendoza   I humbly give way to my buddy, Rico Agcaoili, the brilliant lawyer from Quezon Province whose dear roots he proudly points to Ilocandia, and who is presently the president of plush Baguio Country Club in the City of Pines: “The ‘Laglag…

Prius spotlight-grabber in Tokyo Motor Show By Al S. Mendoza TOKYO—Twenty-two years later, I am still at it: Covering the Tokyo Motor Show. It is a once-in-two-years thing and I haven’t kicked the habit since I covered it in 1993 for the first time. I never missed a single show…

The candidates By Al S Mendoza   SOME 130 persons had wished to become president of the republic in 2010. That list got pared down to less than 10. Benigno Aquino III won by landslide, with Erap finishing a stunning second. Six years later, some 170 or so hopefuls wish…