Information, not taxation
The Department of Finance (DOF) is pitching to Congress the proposed Promoting Growth, Revenue, and Equity towards Socio-Economic Sustainability tax reform package that seeks to impose, among others,...
View ArticleA September gift
There’s often a monthslong lag between the day a Supreme Court ruling is made and when that ruling is made public. The same was true of its June 10 decision acquitting Imelda Marcos of seven counts of...
View ArticleHard work begins for BARMM
“Generally peaceful.” This was how Commission on Elections (Comelec) chair George Garcia, police information chief Col. Allen Co, and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Adiong described the historic parliamentary...
View ArticleMaritime red flags
Five days after the passenger ferry MV June Aster caught fire off the coast of Coron, Palawan, claiming at least 76 lives, its captain finally emerged in public, ending speculations that he, too, had...
View ArticleJail corrupt BIR examiners
Tax collectors were among the most despised people during the time of Jesus Christ, when they were derided in the Bible as traitors for collaborating with an oppressive government, forcing their own...
View ArticleVery powerful protectors
Ten months have passed since Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa went on the run to evade arrest by the International Criminal Police Organization in connection with the crime against humanity case he and...
View ArticleFighting leptospirosis
In the past month and a half, relentless rains in this monsoon season have caused severe flooding in many parts of the country, with churning waters drowning entire towns and provinces. Silted with...
View ArticleComing down hard on ‘Solar King’
Last January, the Department of Energy (DOE) showed some spine when it slapped a massive P24-billion penalty against the solar energy company of Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste for failure...
View ArticleDisparaging the court
Sara Duterte burst into the national consciousness in 2011 via an extraordinary act of force and aggression. In July of that year, in full view of media cameras and a throng of onlookers, the then...
View ArticleTrack record of negligence
The sight of a mountain of expired medicines being buried by Department of Health (DOH) personnel will make any Filipino feel sick, as these lifesaving drugs — already out of reach for many people —...
View ArticleA shorter life
In 2000, a person born in the Philippines could expect to live to about 70 years old. By 2021, that expectation had fallen to 66.4 years, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). That was a...
View ArticleAnti-‘epal’ budget provision ignored
Thanks to the complaints of the Cayetano siblings in the Senate, we now know that some politicians have managed to circumvent the anti-“epal” provision in the 2026 national budget banning their...
View ArticleWho let the watchdogs out?
A year ago, the House of Representatives opened its doors to civil society organizations (CSOs), allowing governance watchdogs to ask questions and attend hearings as part of an effort to make the...
View ArticleCritical minerals as blessing, not curse
In a bid to establish the Philippines as a vital player in the global value chain linked to the transition to a low-carbon economy, President Marcos issued last week Executive Order No. 122 that for...
View ArticleAnti-corruption legacy
When the right time comes, President Marcos said he will “certainly endorse” a candidate to succeed him after his term ends in 2028. “I will endorse somebody who I am confident will continue what we...
View ArticleSchool shooting: Three is too late
One is random, two is a coincidence, and three is a trend, or so the saying goes. But it’s the foolish government that would wait for a third school shooting before deciding it must pull out all the...
View ArticleClimate-resilient learning system
The Department of Education (DepEd) is proposing a new policy that would allow schools to decide whether to resume face-to-face classes after severe weather disturbances and other disasters even when...
View ArticleAbsence as disrespect
On July 13, Sen. Peter Alan Cayetano raised hell when the prosecution in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte requested that the testimony of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)...
View ArticleExpensive Edsa potholes
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon was recently mortified when he inspected the newly rehabilitated Epifanio de los Santos (Edsa) and found portions of the highway riddled with potholes. It had only...
View ArticleFlood control fund’s comeback
There was never any question about whether the country needs flood control projects. It was always a question of whether these projects would preserve lives and property or serve as vehicles for...
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