GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/February 3, 2012) – As  a postscript to our last Comment: “Pacquiao the Boxer in Congress” may we offer this unsolicited advice free of charge? Anything for the long lasting good of the giver and the beneficiaries is never late. Does Manny Pacquiao really want to help the poor? If I remember [...]

Kung ikaw laagan nagsuroy-suroy sa yutang natawhan magsakit gyud ang imong dughan ang dagkong kabukiran pirmiro gipahak-pahakan sunod gi-opawan pagkahuman, gipanitan unya dili na pasudlan kay private property naman ‘hadlok makawatan pero time-pa kinsa ma’y kawatan dili ba sila nga ang yuta gi-shipped sa China ug Japan? tigbak ang kakahuyan poisoned ang kasubaan goodbye kinaiyahan [...]

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/2 February) – Col. Romeo Gapuz, commander of the 403rd Infantry Brigade, on Wednesday told the provincial board of Bukidnon that 2,500 Lumads (a generic term for indigenous peoples in Mindanao) in the province led by 13 datus or chieftains are helping the New People’s Army. Pressed by Vice Gov. Jose Maria R. [...]

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/1 February) – In today’s regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Bukidnon, Vice Gov. Jose Maria R. Zubiri Jr. suspended the house rules to enable an official from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in the province to render a report on what they have accomplished since last year. Near the end [...]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/30 January) – Pacquaio is facing his acid test in Congress: First, how well on the way is he in rounding the square peg that he is to fit into the round hole that is Congress? How is he living up to the great expectation cast around him.

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/30 January) – Rep. Manny Pacquiao is professing he is now a changed man. Of course he is. From the dirt poor kid to the mega millionaire celebrity who can shell out US$ 500,000 for a private yacht without batting his eyelashes, he is indeed a changed man. But that is obviously [...]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/29 January) — As a boxer and Filipino, has Emmanuel Pacquiao done much good for his country? Certainly! He made the sports world, American especially, take notice of the Philippines. He has given boxing in the Philippines the needed boost – inspiring promising Filipino boxers. For these, he deserves honors.

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/29 January) — Being away and out of reach by technology during the days when many were expecting the Corona impeachment trial to proceed smoothly after a superb first week handling by Senator-Judge and presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile, I am limited to picking up TV replay highlights and news account of [...]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindadNews/28 January) — Riches breed ambition for power fanned by the fame riches naturally brings. Yielding to this ambition, Pacquiao emerges in a new person with a new story.

(First of Four Parts) GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 27 January) – Manny Pacquiao, the multi-titled world boxing champion, and Emmanuel D. Pacquiao, the representative of the lone congressional district of Sarangani, are two persons in one man. As boxing champion Manny Pacquiao is super; as congressional representative, Emmanuel D. Pacquiao has still to prove [...]

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/27 January) – Some readers had reacted to my previous piece titled “Technical foul” (MindaNews, January 26, 2012). In a nutshell, it’s about the efforts of the defense panel in the impeachment case against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona to bar the prosecution from linking the income tax returns and statements of [...]

Si Corona lang ba ang naa sa condition nga sobra pa sa cholera? Gamay ra ang suweldo pero kabtangan ug kabalayan usa ka dosena ang kadaghan Gi-unsa man intawon Hesus pastilan! kadakong katingalahan Pag-angkon nila sa posisyon ning 10-times ang komisyon? ka-level na nila si Lucio Tan kung mansion ang hisgotan ganyan sila ka-yaman maong [...]

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/26 January) – In Wednesday’s (January 25) continuation of the trial of the impeachment case against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato C. Corona, not a few observers said it was a bad day for the prosecution. They gave the day to the defense probably because defense lead counsel Serafin Cuevas succeeded in preventing [...]

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/24 January) – The harder the defense panel in the impeachment  case of Supreme Court Chief Justic Renato Corona tries to inject the rigid rules of a criminal proceeding into the trial in the Senate, the harder things have become for the impeached official. Five days into the impeachment trial, former associate justice [...]

More fun in the Philippines? di na lang ko mag-tell kay basin akong passport ma-cancel pero sa tutuo lang more fun in the Philippines if you’re a foreigner kay kung local tourist ka Ate, kuya pasensya Nag check-in mi kausa sa resort sa probinsya unsa ba’ng pagkaunsaa priority kuno taga-Canada ning-ulbo among kaspa More fun [...]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/23 January) — A week into the trial of impeached Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, the defense said it will file a motion to inhibit Senator-Judge Franklin Drilon, whom it has publicly accused of being biased towards the prosecution, from participating in only the second impeachment case to reach trial in [...]

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/21 January) – It is now understandable why the prosecution panel wanted to tackle first the second article of impeachment against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato C. Corona, and why the defense panel had tried to insist that the presentation of evidence should follow the arrangement of the allegations as stated in the [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/21 January) – At fourteen, Sage is still used to being able to channel a parent with just the action of her fingertip. She texts without preamble, like we’re just picking up the thread to an interrupted conversation. This came in last week while I was just sitting down for coffee. Sage: What [...]

Impeachment, a process that is used to charge, try and remove public officials for misconduct while in office, is a power exclusively belonging to Congress. The grounds for impeachment are based on Article XI, Section 2 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution which states: “The President, the Vice-President, the Members of the Supreme Court, the Members of the Constitutional Commissions, and the Ombudsman may be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, culpable violation of the Constitutions, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayal of public trust.”

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/20 January) — To Filipinos who had seen and followed the first ever impeachment trial involving former President Joseph Estrada in 2000, the first week of the trial of Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona was rather tame compared to the groundbreaking and highly charged political exercise of Philippine Congress twelve [...]

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/19 January) – Day 3 of the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona highlighted a core issue that remains hotly debated within the legal profession and even by non-lawyers: how exactly does an impeachment case relate to the concept of the legislature and judiciary as co-equal branches of government along with the executive branch? More to the point, can the Supreme Court intervene in actions done by the Senate as an impeachment court?

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/17 January) – The Senate, now sitting as an impeachment court to try the case filed against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, currently has twenty-three members. Benigno S. Aquino III was supposed to serve until June 30 next year had he not won as president in 2010. Now, how will Aquino’s erstwhile [...]

Karong nagsugod na ang impeachment ni Corona expect dakong karambola, giyera-giyera, daw fiesta Kinahanglan dili mosipyat sa adlaw’g-adlaw’ng resulta panawagan nato sa media ug mga abugado’ng de kampanilya Angay mahibalo ug tuki-tukion ta aron dili madisgrasya ang daang matuwid paingon sa demokrasya (niining bahina ang sistema sa hustisya) Dugay’g panahon gidamgo ta gobyierno’ng malamboon ug [...]

Rivers run through Iligan City, which is why its name is Iligan. The city’s linguistic origin is from the word ilig, which according to the Iliganons means to flow. There are many rivers that flow across the breath and length of Iligan City, some of which originate from the uplands of Lanao del Sur and ultimately [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/15 January) – We were prepared to ride the habal-habal once again on Saturday. This time, Toto Lozano will go with me and Ruby will shoot for mining-related issues in Pantukan. Bibo was already waiting for us near the town hall when we arrived. It was 9:30 a.m. For an out-of-town coverage like [...]

As for me, I have always wished that one day I will become one of the ten Jose Rizal Model Students of the Philippines. The most recent winner from Ateneo de Davao University was Cristyl Mae Senajon who ranked third in 2007. After reading a newspaper article about her victory, I told myself “I will also win that title.” Three days ago, while I was waiting for my turn to be interviewed, I chanced upon the 10 trophies displayed on the left corner. I went closer then carried the biggest trophy. I asked myself, “How will I be able to bring this home?” And the rest is history.

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/14 January) — On our second day of coverage of the landslide in Pantukan, Compostela Valley, we decided to take the Tibagon route because it was still 9:30a.m. Besides, the weather looked fine that Friday, January 6, 2012. The chopper was on standby in case there would be survivors in the landslide. Or [...]

DAKBAYAN SA DABAW (MindaNews/Enero 14) — Kardo: “Wa jod ko magdahom, Pre, nga naa pay Don Quixote karong panahona.” Berto: “Don Quixote? Kinsa man na siya, Pre?” Kardo: “Wa pa ka kabati niya, Pre? Karakter na sa uska nobela nga gisulat sa Katsilang si Miguel de Cervantes niadtong 1605-1615.” Berto: “Hahaha. Intawon sab, Pre, uy. [...]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, December 12, 2012 – Edwin G. Especjo, in his latest column article, “PAQUIAO WATCH: When hunger is no longer there” (MindaNews, January 5, 2012), revealed the latest that he saw in Manny Pacquiao – seen as the most sensational and sensationalized Filipino boxer – the only boxer in the world of all [...]

Inig Bundak sa ulan dili namo kapugngan ang kabalisa ug kalisang   bisan tuod ania sa siyudad taliwala sa kapatagan dili kalikayan kay gilibutan man kini sa kasubaan   Asa na lang unya simbako modagan? alang-alang man sa kahumayan o sa pantalan ( wala ma’y pantalan )   Ginoo ko, andam ba kaha ang gobyierno [...]

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT (MindaNews/11 January) – After his falling out with Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Vicente “Dongkoy” Emano years ago, the inimitable lawyer Frederico Gapuz said that aside from the self-styled political kingpin’s addiction to politics, he has that gift of pulling off sleights of hand. I was wondering how Emano  would justify City [...]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/10 January) – Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, who visited Arakan right after the killing (MindaNews, October 26, 2011), said that a task force had been assigned to look into the Tentorio murder case and three angles were being considered as the possible motives. However, he cautioned: “It might be good for us to consider all angles and motives because … there are inconsistencies if you take a closer look at the incidents and initial motive as claimed.”

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/10 January) – Comments on the Department of Tourism’s latest marketing slogan for the Philippines have turned mostly satirical. Imaginative and cruel at the same time, the comments unravel a mode of thinking which is rather unique. Maybe to a certain degree, the same attitude can also be found in the citizens of [...]

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/9 January) – Last month, when I sent Fr. Dan McNamara’s article for Tambara guest editor Jojo Abinales to review, Jojo wanted to know why a physics paper was being considered for Tambara, a journal publication that is known to address Mindanao issues. I reminded Jojo that Tambara has the mission to inspire [...]

I live mine in make believe – daydreaming has always been my hobby of choice. I would always take every chance to shift my attention to somewhere out-of-this-word.

How I tell myself stories is rather childish to the point of cute. As with the egocentrism of a toddler, I would always be the protagonist. I would play a certain, sometimes-unconventional role. Doctor, fireman, soldier. Magician, jeepney driver, hermit, snake-charmer. More recently, as a psychologist (about time I did). The possibilities are always asymptotic to infinite.

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/9 January) – The arrest of Jimmy Ato, alleged killer of Fr. Fausto Tentorio, PIME in early morning of December 29, 2011 generated positive reactions. However, after the arrest followed big posers in the wake of conflicting and downplayed implicating and complicating circumstances and incidents.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/9 January) – Having crossed the sustainable limit of deforestation in the late 1940s, Filipinos gradually felt the deprivation of the original “ecosystem services” of the forests they used to enjoy. Indeed, due to severe deforestation, the present ecological state of the Philippine environment is helplessly vulnerable to various forms of natural disasters. We suffer from the bad ecological effects of deforestation. We are beginning to realize that the forest is a “focal ecosystem” whose destruction would necessarily affect all other ecosystems.

Tungod karon bag-ong tuig dili na ko mag- alig-alig sobrang kaon sa minantikaang chicken and pig minos-minosan pud ang softdrinks ug chicheria instead mag-fasting ug mag-yoga Kalisod ‘ning kahimtanga pero kung wala ka’y disiplina sa kaulahian ikaw mag-antos sakit sa lawas dili matapos-tapos busa gulay ug prutas na lang insakto pa ang timbang high blood, [...]

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/08 January) — I do not want to understand the tragic event of typhoon “Sendong” and other ecological disasters either as the will of God or as simply part of the fate of the Filipinos whose lives have always been punctuated by a struggle to survive the devastating plagues of nature. I firmly believe that the evils of ecological disaster could not purely be attributed to the natural consequences of our evolutionary world. They also have human causes which can be mitigated. Many of them are anthropogenic and human-induced factors which can be overcome.

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/06 January) – It has become too tiring, this usual excuse we often hear from public officials whenever a disaster occurs. So repetitive in fact that I’m tempted to think God must have made a single DNA pattern for the people who are destined – by their own insistence or by our folly [...]

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT (MindaNews/07 January) –  I stand by my piece “Don’t cash in on Sendong please!”. I have also issued this rejoinder to the Aksyon Klima e-group where my column and Dr. Godilano’s reply were discussed. Experts are asked about their pronouncements because they are presumed to know more than a layman in their [...]

(This piece is Dr. Esteban C. Godilano’s reaction to the Fastlanes column of BenCyrus G. Ellorin on December 29, 2011). Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, but it is more prudent to verify facts to make the record straight. In my interview by the ANC Primetime News anchored by Ms. Carmina Cosntantino last 27 [...]

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/05 January) – It is not the fault of President Aquino and the majority coalition in the House of Representatives that Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona has been impeached. The mess that the chief magistrate now finds himself in is the fruit of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s insistence on appointing him at [...]

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/04 January) – House prosecutors in the impeachment case against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona have sort of fired the first salvo even before the start of the trial. At a news conference Tuesday, Rep. Niel Tupas Jr., the chief prosecutor, alleged that the Corona couple bought a penthouse at the plush [...]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/04 January) — In just two fights last year, reigning world welterweight king Manny Pacquiao made more money than the combined annual budget of General Santos City and his adopted province Sarangani. His 2011 gross income is undoubtedly the most he has ever made in a single year since turning professional at [...]

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/3 January) – Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, in his reply to the impeachment complaint submitted to the Senate, makes an issue of the “blitzkrieg” fashion with which the House of Representatives mustered 188 signatures to impeach him. Curiously though, his reply, the full text of which is available online, does not [...]

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT (MindaNews/3 Jan) – The horrific impact of Sendong exposes not just the geo-hazards faced by the premier city of northern Mindanao but the deep social malaise relegated to the sidelines by the daily ruckus that characterize the developing city of over half a million people. Several issues were raised on why there [...]

Kining among kapitan Eprin ang pangalan medyo, medyo kahibulungan usahay tagulillong dili mi kahibalo asa padulong pero wala na’y kaso kay si kap tumpak sa serbisyo waiting shed, basketball court napatindog kada fiesta puwerting biboha dako ang lega kada gabii pirmi bayli kuryenti matag poste hagbay ra gisugdan na ang pag-simento sa kadalanan ug kanto [...]

SUBIC BAY (MindaNews/31 December) — Our Father in heaven, forgive us our sins and help us forgive those who trespass against us. Grant us the faith na ikaw na bahala sa ila. Lamdagi pod kining mga self-righteous who have become so proud of what they are doing: hugging the poor and elderly, kissing babies, having [...]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/30 December)– President Benigno Simeon Aquino III has asked his legal team for a list from which to choose the possible replacement of Chief Justice Renato C. Corona and he or she must be in the mold of Associate Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda told reporters last December 27 [...]