OSLO, NORWAY — Four (4) years after its breakdown and collapse , we are now on the threshold of a resumption of the stalled peace talks with the CPP/NPA/NDF. Our yesterday’s signing of the Joint Statement in Oslo, Norway will usher in the formal re-start next month of what could be another renewed effort to […]
ADVOCACY MINDANOW
SEIZING SUSPECTED NOKOR SHIP RECKLESS & PROVOCATIVE
I almost fell off from my seat when I read the Sunday newspapers reporting that a SUSPECTED (caps to highlight) North Korean cargo vessel “Jin Teng” docked in Subic port delivering palm kernel for farm animal feeds was impounded as part of the United Nations asset freeze sanction against volatile North Korea for its missile […]
The Bongbong Marcos I Know
The Bongbong Marcos I Know When I saw him last week in his Roxas Blvd office in Metro Manila, Senator Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. was looking well. But I soon found out why he sent “Zandro”, his 21-year old son, an Oxford London student who was on school break to read his speech at a […]
IF NOT TODAY, TOMORROW
IF NOT TODAY, TOMORROW Many have now serious doubts about the future of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) given Congress’ failure to pass it on time. I have a few thoughts I wish to share, coming from my modest work in the peace process. For instance, I found out that those who know what […]
POWER SCRAMBLE!
POWER SCRAMBLE! I read reports saying that Mindanao is well and “ok” on power needs due to the many new power plants being put up. True? Not really! Mark my words. In a year or so, there will be another acute power shortage in Mindanao. This will trigger a mad rush among power coops where […]
Colliding with China
Colliding with China The Philippines is now on a collision course with China over disputed territories that can be an international flashpoint. A few days ago, a US spy plane making a “fly-by” over disputed territories in the “Spratly’s” was “challenged” over radio by Chinese military and told to “go away”. Another commercial airplane flying […]
What to Do With China?
What to Do With China? I talked on the phone last Saturday with Zambales Gov. Hermogenes “ Jun” Ebdane who was a colleague in the Arroyo Cabinet. He has set up a high-tech coastal watch monitoring system in his province, in cooperation with a Canadian firm, to spot foreign vessels intruding into his provincial territorial […]
Why I have American Blood in my Veins
Why I have American Blood in my Veins A few days ago, I got reminded, during a recent clan reunion in my late father Martin’s hometown JANIUAY in Iloilo, that I have American blood in my veins. I was one year old and born in another Iloilo town GUIMBAL when our family migrated down south to Davao […]
Peace “Piece by Piece’?
Peace “Piece by Piece’? AMEND ARMM LAW — I read similar positions of two (2) eminent persons who are proposing that in lieu of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), the more expedient way forward, while the BBL is getting stuck in both Houses of Congress is to return back to the law of the Autonomous […]
I Have Many Aliases, Too!
I Have Many Aliases, Too! So, what’s all this fuss about MILF’s Chair Iqbal using an alias? Use of many aliases or pseudo-names is a common practice. Consider this. Since I was born December 24, my baptismal records call me “JESUS”. But if you ask the National Statistics Office ( NSO), they officially call me […]