Remembering requires labor. It demands listening to stories that are inconvenient, uncomfortable, and sometimes painful. It requires teaching history when it is unpopular, correcting falsehoods when they are easier to ignore, and reopening wounds when we are told to move on.
The Filipino people are not as uneducated and naïve as most of our politicians think they are.
Violence against women, however, is not only an assault on dignity but also a direct threat to health.
In a democracy, the rule of law is not merely a legal doctrine—it is a moral compass, a civic covenant, and a bulwark against tyranny. It is the promise that power must answer to principle, and that justice must not be swayed by rank, wealth, or influence. In our jurisdiction, the principle that “no one is above the law” is both a constitutional promise and a historical reckoning. It demands that power be accountable, that justice be impartial, and that every citizen, whether peasant or presiden
To be clear and upfront, this is not a defense of the unqualified view that the law may be bent, which to some means that compliance with the law may be dispensed with. No, this is merely a philosophical and off-the-cuff musing on the rigidity or flexibility of law, in general.
But rights are not clothes we can wear when they suit us and remove when they do not; they are not tools we can drop when inconvenient and wield when they align with our agenda. Rights are indivisible. We cannot call for due process and deny it to others.
It is the people’s victory in dismantling an abusive regime and the restoration of democracy, giving flesh to the words “We, the sovereign Filipino people”.
Even in this technologically advanced age, we must look back at our national heroes and awaken the Rizal in all of us. We must stand up for what is right and protect the principles that our revered heroes fought so hard to achieve in our fight for independence.
We are no Sisyphus’ and his eternal push. We refuse to be reduced to mere statistics or another fringe history lesson of the world’s inaction, denial, and politicking. Our future is not up for bargain nor for the major powers maneuvering.
Our cultural heritage is not worth all the money in this world. It will displace not just the flora and fauna in the area, but also the bones, and bloods drenched to protect the environment, and the history of the IPs who stood up against colonialism and abuse of power by the rich corporations.
Coming from a place that is not a stranger to conflict, if there is a lesson from the centuries-long Mindanao problem, it is that war and military action alone cannot make nor keep peace.
Perhaps, the self-styled appointed son of God should follow God's example of courage and humility. Even Jesus himself submitted to civil authorities. Render to Caesar what is due to Caesar. Mr. Quiboloy, with all his power and influence, has every means and resource to defend himself in court.
What are they in power for? Perhaps it is high time that we should learn the hard lesson that politics is more than cult-like worship of personalities.
The country has reached a milestone as a Senate committee approved a consolidated measure that brings divorce closer into law.
The existence of confidential funds undermines transparency and accountability in the Philippine government for its lack of detailed reporting and oversight mechanisms which allows potential abuse and corruption.
