The Rice Shortage: What ‘Good’ Does it Bring?

If there is anything ‘good’ that the rice shortage has created, that is, shifting the public attention away from the graft and corruption scandals which have been plaguing this administration of Pres. Arroyo. At least, that is it from the point of view of the present dispensation.

What is the Opposition up to?

The essence of the opposition, in any free and sovereign nation, is to check and balance the excesses of the powers-that-be. Not in this country, it seems. What we simply have, from the looks of it, is a noisy opposition that espouses so much rants and raves. Yes, the opposition is quick to expose (with the aid of the media) the scams and anomalies under this administration, but it was never quite effective.

What else should we learn from education?

John Henry Cardinal Newman, in “The Idea of a University,” stated the aim of a university education, that is, to develop in the students “the force, the steadiness, the comprehensiveness and the versatility of intellect, the command over our own powers, the instinctive just estimate of things as they pass before us,” which are the fruit of rigorous training and noble influences.

The Dark Clouds that Loom Over this Country

The dark cloud is that we are being led out of our deepest misfortune by the one person most responsible for it. Under her specific watch, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has not just made the Philippines the most corrupt country in Asia; she has also made it the biggest rice importer in Asia, and some say in the whole world. We are currently buying 2.2 million tons abroad every year despite the hugely ironic fact that we host the International Rice Research Institute.

The True State of the Economy

When it comes to the true state of the economy, it is always what the President says versus what the people feel and believe in. Personally, I am more inclined to believe in what the people say as they are the one who feel the impact and consequences of the behavior of the economy. So, is it what the people feel or what the data tell as sourced out by government agencies.

A Nation in Distress

In her speech at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) commencement exercises last March 18, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said the nation was tired of the politics of despair and division. This is not true and she knows it. Only a seasoned liar could have made that statement with a straight face. What distress the nation are the lies, deception and thievery in the highest offices of the land that characterize her administration. The nation will surely be devastated if it turns out

Lawyers and the “Rule of Law”

After a delay, the Supreme Court finally released the bar exam results. A new generation of Filipino lawyers is enrolled in the roster of lawyers. And when these lawyers take their oath in the presence of the justices of the Supreme Court at the Philippine International Convention Center, many, if not all, must know that their profession finds itself, once more, standing before the bar of history.

The Three Monkeys of Governance

The Palace has proclaimed the Supreme Court’s decision in Neri vs. Senate Committee as a restoration of the appropriate balance of power between contending branches of government. And yet, the Palace’s real cause for celebration—that the decision allows the administration to clamp down on access to information—has been pointed out by both a former chief justice and one of the framers of our present Constitution, Fr. Joaquin Bernas, S.J. Former Chief Justice

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!