Fall from grace and all, because of money—again By Al S. Mendoza WHAT’s it all about, Alfie? I was asked that a million and one times already. If you still don’t know it, “What’s it all about, Alfie?” is a line from that famous song, “Alfie,” popularized in the Sixties…

The Philippines is where the heart is By Al S. Mendoza AS I write this, the appointment of Ruben Reyes Jr., M.D./MS as a poison expert/toxicologist of the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital in San Carlos City remains unprocessed and, therefore, unsigned by Guv Spines. What’s crackin’, Guv? When I checked on…

Weeping for the trees of my youth By Al S. Mendoza OMIGOSH!  Illegal logging while I was sleeping—right in my own backyard? I didn’t know about it, until the Sunday PUNCH published it (Sept 2-8, 2012 issue). Mangatarem, my beloved hometown, was among nine Pangasinan towns now being pinned down…

P-Noy surprise, but watch out for Spines surprise, too By Al S. Mendoza WHILE we were sleeping, President Aquino came up with a surprise before he flew to Russia for the Apec summit the week past. He approved the P407-billion project designed primarily to finally control flooding in Metro Manila…

Salt business knocking on Guv’s doorstep By Al S. Mendoza I think it was late last year when Euclid G. Forbes went to Lingayen to meet up with Raffy Baraan. For my unabashed love for Pangasinan, I had arranged that meeting. I was supposed to join that meeting but I…

Luck, plus miracle, made us win the Jones Cup in Taipei By Al S. Mendoza  WE went to war half-prepared.  That’s because we practiced only two weeks before plunging to action. Still, we won. Tsun Tzu might be turning in his grave.  The author of The Art of War, if…

May I respectfully nominate Leni as Jesse’s replacement? By Al S. Mendoza WHY not Leni Robredo? I mean, let’s get real. I nominate Leni Robredo to replace Jesse Robredo as secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). Indeed, why not Leni Robredo, a lawyer no less, instead…

Zeroing in on my Buloy, floods & Guv Spines By Al S. Mendoza MY mole says my Buloy Al Fernandez won’t run for mayor in Dagupan in 2013. “It’s not in my agenda right now,” my mole quotes my Buloy Al as saying after their chance meeting at Dagupena. That…

Whipping boys, if not decorations, in every Olympiad By Al S. Mendoza THERE are two ways to approach every Olympic Games to keep our sanity. One, we are going there not to win medals. Two, we are going there as a commitment to world peace through sports. Only about 30…

Be a millionaire, join the Olympic Games By Al S. Mendoza YOU want to be an instant millionaire? Buy a lotto ticket. But winning the lotto jackpot is a one-in-a-million affair. Like golf’s hole-in-one, a lotto win can only be made by God. There is another way for you to…