Illegal fishpens By Jun Velasco    “An educated person is one who knows how to be ignorant intelligently,” E.C. McKenzie OUR friend from Bani, Pangasinan Procopio “Pepe” de Vera called up yesterday from Beijing to inform us of China’s freezing weather (“parang ini-sliced ang laman ko”). He said via his…

Michael should accept Brian’s dare! By Gonzalo Duque   IT’s Holy Week while we wrote this column. That’s why we’ve been praying hard we wouldn’t descend to unholy thoughts due to the very libelous broadcasts we have been getting for two weeks now. Our lawyers are poring into the libelous…

There is still hope By Bebot Villar   HABANG pumuporma na ang mga candidates for the May 13 elections, pinag-aaralan kong mabuti who among them ang may advocacy o plataporma against illegal drugs. Most of them ay naka-focus sa fight against poverty, pagbibigay ng tamang education, livelihood, sapat na pagkain, health…

The Pieta By +Oscar V. Cruz, JCD   THERE was once a mother tenderly holding her newly born Child, silently enjoying His looks of innocence, conscious of His utter dependence of her and attentively protecting His helplessness. There was a Child feeling good, cozy and safe in the arms of…

Delegates from 14 countries at Pyramid of Asia By Jun Velasco   “Don’t look at others’ wrongs, done or undone. See what you, yourself, have done or not.”–Dhammadapa 50  OUR first reaction to the election of Pope Francis was to call attention to the role of Christians especially their leaders…

Implications of Pnoy’s endorsements By Gonzalo Duque   AFTER President Aquino’s “invasion” of Pangasinan, the grapevine is abuzz with intriguing analyses that his local candidates have become sure winners in the May elections. Do you think so? We don’t think so. We say, it depends. In a close encounter, let’s…

Three days of silence sana By Bebot Villar   DAPAT hinay- hinay muna sa pag-ikot at pag-campaign ng mga candidates in observance of the Holy Week. Dahan-dahan sa pambobola sa mga voters. Manahimik muna kayo, mag-sacrifice ng ilang araw, ceasefire muna sa mga batikos. Isantabi muna ninyo ang mga mudslinging…

Philippine Economic and Political Context By +Oscar V. Cruz, JCD   “In our economic context: The poverty and destitution of a big number of our people are only too evident, contrasting sharply with the wealth and luxury of relatively few families, the elite top of our social pyramid. In our…

Iskolar Nga [Ba]yan? By Johanne Margarette R. Macob   THOUSANDS take the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) every August, all with the fervent hope of making it into the premier state university of the country. I know exactly that feeling, I was one of those. From these…

Wobbling moral foundations By Jun Velasco   “The greatest power for good is the power of example.” E.C. McKenzie   THE ascent of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, to the papacy is immediately challenged by the worsening turbulence in the world and worse, the church’s wobbling moral and…