Last January 25, 44 members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) – Special Action Force (SAF) were mercilessly killed at Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao through the hands of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). The ambush took place during the team’s mission, which involved the detaining of the group’s…
Tag: Opinion
Our country, EDSA
The 23.8km stretch of road from Monumento in Caloocan to the Mall of Asia in Pasay can easily be likened to our country, from its conception until now. The Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly known as EDSA, is one of the most important roadways in the country because not only it connects most of…
All-out war? We are already in one
We see the battlefield for what it is only when the smoke clears. The past two weeks have seen the best of us drift into easy narratives of honour, national pride or blind patriotism. Thousands, mostly in Luzon, soon joined the chorus calling for “all out war” on the MILF. Many more have declared all…
When do we grow up?
How far is the gap between being a ‘kid’ and being an ‘adult’? And more importantly, when exactly do we make the jump? Of course, it’s easy to define the terms ‘child’ and ‘adult’ using numbers. It’s much simpler to say that someone’s a child if they’re below 18 years of age, and someone’s an…
Culture of corruption
As I was jogging near the Rizal Park the other day, I saw a large white banner with the words “Huwag kang magnakaw!” (Thou shall not steal), largely written on it. It was another of those socio-political outcries, I thought to myself, amidst yet another allegation of corruption currently being hurled against Vice President Jejomar…
Immoral compass
By now, many of us would have heard about the massacre that had befallen 12 staffers and editors of a French weekly magazine called Charlie Hebdo at the hands of two Islamist gunmen last January 7. Within an hour after the attack, the words #JeSuisCharlie (#IamCharlie) made waves on social media to support freedom of…
Pope Francis’ invisible gifts
There was just something extraordinary about the visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines that you can’t quite explain. How could the presence of just one man unite tens of millions of Filipinos? During his visit, the people were on their best behavior, with crime rates substantially lower according to the Philippine National Police, while…
I wish zombies existed
“When Death laughs, no one else does,” says Amy Neftzger in the book entitled The Orchard of Hope. After my brother’s untimely death in 1998, I promised myself that his early passing would not mean his complete departure from this world. I vowed to always remember him and that his death will only mean physical…
When the onscreen adaptation of Gone Girl was released last October, I was genuinely excited to witness how David Fincher and Gillian Flynn were going to translate the thriller into the big screen. As a fan of the book, I relished the twists and turns Flynn’s third novel had in store for readers, particularly the…
Cars vs. Manila
At a recent job interview at a market research firm, I was asked the usual recruitment questions like what are my reasons for leaving my present job, where do I see myself five to seven years from now, and the like. By the time one of the interviewers asked about my current compensation package, I…