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The annual procession of Jesus Nazareno, also known as the Black Nazarene, held every 9th of January on the streets of Quiapo in Manila is an awesome scene of deep faith and devotion, not many can fully understand.
In cases of this scale, attempts to muddy the record are not incidental. They are a predictable response by those with the most to lose. Confusion over affidavits, timelines and sworn statements can slow investigations, weaken cases and erode public confidence long before any issue reaches a courtroom.
The debt is no longer just growing. It is quietly eating the budget—and with it, our room to choose our future. And that is precisely why the Supreme Court’s pending rulings on the legality of recent budget practices matter—not only for constitutional order, but for the country’s long-term fiscal survival.
The Supreme Court must act decisively—to restore fiscal discipline, transparency, and accountability, and to uphold the integrity of the budget process. At stake is not merely a budgetary device, but the Constitution’s clear command on who controls the nation’s purse—and in whose name public money is spent.
In modern post- war history, the U.S. has won battles but has frequently lost the peace. This happened in Vietnam, Iraq, and in Afghanistan. It remains to be seen if history will repeat itself in Venezuela, and from the looks of it, the situation does not look promising for the Americans and is more complicated and convoluted than they make it appear.
Maduro, to be sure, was a scoundrel. It is just a pity that his end came in the hands of another scoundrel. It could have been better under the rule of international law.
If the Trump government gets away unsanctioned for the Jan. 3 attack of an independent country and the abduction of a sitting president, despicable he maybe, it would encourage country-bullies to do the same.
Ultimately, the true test will lie not in promises or procedures, but in implementation. How transparently the realigned funds are spent, and whether anti-corruption measures are enforced without fear or favor, will determine whether 2026 marks a break from the past, or merely another year haunted by ghost projects.
The Philippines should strengthen multilateral defense activities with like-minded countries because one never knows when the greatest deal maker in the world might just agree to something with China that sells the Philippines down the river.
In its penultimate month of monitoring for 2025, Sandatahang Dahas recorded an alarming increase of state agents exercising their means for brutality beyond what can be considered justifiable scenarios. This brings into question the principle of “maximum tolerance,” and whether state forces actually abide by this like they are instructed to do. As the year comes to a close, Sandatahang Dahas will continue monitoring incidents of state-related violence, especially as we have noted an increase in violence between state agents and anti-insurgency operations for November.
