Archive - Editor's Pick

THE year 2016 gave the Philippines a new president, who brought with him to office his very own lexicon, one which we must use our “creative imagination” to fathom.

It could have been the year a Marcos scion almost got elected the second highest official of the land. Instead, 2016 proved it had more in store for the family of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

It's no longer shocking as it was months before when news of President Rodrigo Duterte taking a swipe at yet another world leader breaks out.

For the Philippines, the second half of 2016 meant listening to President Rodrigo Duterte’s press conferences, often at midnight, and his curses and threats against world leaders, corrupt politicians, and drug lords.

Is Aguirre correct in saying CHR should file cases against erring policemen?

The glare of a drugstore sign floods the street, shining on the lifeless body of a man sprawled on the wet concrete, a crime scene cordoned off by the usual police tape and curious bystanders who have gathered to ogle the latest victim in the government’s war against drugs.

  Update: Duterte admits ordering Marcos reinstatement http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/02/16/duterte-admits-ordering-marcos-reinstatement By ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS IF Police Supt. Marvin Marcos  has long been identified as a protector of drug lords, why is somebody high up in Malacañang protecting him? What does this make of President Duterte’s bloody campaign to eliminate illegal drugs in the country which has claimed

  By ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS WE are glad that Facebook has restored the account of journalist Inday Espina-Varona after it was erroneously blocked last Monday morning. What happened to Inday’s FB account shows how things have gotten out- of -control with Facebook, the social media  phenomenon with over 1.79 billion users, almost a fourth of

   By ELLEN  T. TORDESILLAS THE statement of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales that the plunder and graft case filed by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV against then presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte is being investigated reassures those who are worried that the issue would be buried with the election of Duterte to the presidency. Many were afraid that

By MARIA FEONA IMPERIAL AS the deafening roar of thousands of anti-Marcos supporters reverberated around Luneta Friday night, two young people engaged in a friendly debate on the sidelines. “Are we discounting the truth in numbers that have been published so far?” asked Ochie*, a 20-year-old aeronautics student, whose family had been a victim of

  By ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS   SO it was not jet lag that was the reason why President Duterte was absent in the gala dinner  heads of state attending the 2017 Leaders Meeting  of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in Lima, Peru last Saturday as he earlier told reporters. It’s stomach upset. In his interview

BY ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS PRESIDENT Duterte’s absence in two traditional events in the 2017 summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC once again raises the need for Malacañang to inform the public of the health of the 71-year old chief executive. We know it’s a sensitive subject for Duterte but the public’s concern

By ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS  FIRST things first: I’d like to thank each and every one who took time to attend the whole day launch and conference of the Media Ownership Monitor Philippines (http://philippines.mom-rsf.org/ ) last Thursday. My special thanks to Press Undersecretary Enrique Tandan who delivered the keynote address in behalf of Press Secretary Martin

    By MIGUEL PAOLO P. REYES AND JOEL F. ARIATE JR. IN the rules of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, AFP Regulations G 161-375 to be exact, only two conditions disqualify deceased personnel from being buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. The first is dishonorable discharge from the service; the second is

  By ELLEN T.TORDESILLAS OFTENTIMES, many people including  government officials blame media for the many problems that they face in their governance. Media-bashing was a standard fare in many of  the speeches of former President Aquino. President Duterte has followed the same line. Although the media-bashing reflects a warped appreciation of the role of media,

  By CHARMAINE DEOGRACIAS IF newly elected US President Donald Trump makes good his campaign threat to pull the United States out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), he might also pull the plug on the its Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the Philippines. Trump has called the international security alliance “obsolete,” saying it

By ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS TWO things came to our mind when we read about President Duterte’s threat of suspending the writ of habeas corpus if lawlessness in Mindanao worsens. Number one, his “Kill, Kill” strategy in eradicating the illegal drug problem is not solving the problem despite 4,000 killed. Number two, the public has been

  ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS IS the voting in the Supreme Court decision allowing the burial of Ferdinand E. Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani reflective of the sentiments of the justices towards the Marcoses? Will that be the same alignment in the election protest of former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr against the election

                                                               By ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS RETIRED ambassador Jaime J. Yambao wrote in his column in Manila Times that the  Board of Governors the Philippine Ambassadors Foundation Inc. (PAFI) at its last meeting agreed to “express its alarm and concern over the demoralization in the ranks of career ambassadors caused by the announced and probable

YVONNE T. CHUA DAVAO CITY—Three representatives from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) are expected to be among the 10 government nominees in the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) the Duterte administration is reconstituting Monday, presidential adviser on the peace process Jesus Dureza said Saturday. He said, however, MNLF founding chairperson Nur Misuari will not be

  By ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS PRESIDENT  Duterte has decided that his choice to be ambassador to the United States, Marciano “Jun” Paynor will not go to Washington States this year. It has nothing to do with the uncertain state of PH-US relations. Duterte feels that Paynor is needed here for the preparations of the 2017

WITH the confirmation by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana that the three Chinese Coast Guard ships are still in Scarborough shoal, the statement of China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying last Monday underscored that Filipino fishermen are back in Scarborough Shoal on the benevolence of China.

  By ALBERTO ENCOMIENDA FOREIGN policy has taken center stage at this early point in the Duterte administration. It should be no surprise inasmuch as since shortly before assuming the Presidency, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has loudly made known that sea changes in foreign policy political/geopolitical direction of the country looms in the horizon, the basic premise of which is in regard to pursuing an

                             By ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS                   EVERY Undas or All Souls Day (Nov. 2) when Filipinos troop to cemeteries to remember departed loved ones, I always think of the families of desaparecidos. Where do they go to offer flowers and light the candles for their dead whom they didn’t bury? I think of Edith Burgos,