Amigo: Get your acts together!

PUBLIC and private prosecutors in the controversial Maguindanao massacre case should get their acts together so as not to derail the pursuit of justice for the families of 57 victims allegedly masterminded by some members of the Ampatuan clan.

Emata: We must help our 'kababayans'

I WATCH every day the Filipino channel relating to newscasts of the Philippines and the Filipinos scattered worldwide. For one thing I see pure Filipinos, the short brown people who speak the Filipino language. Other than that white people who are Americans, Europeans, Arabs or Latinos surround me.

Amigo: Is De Lima serious?

IS JUSTICE Secretary Leila de Lima serious when she ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to track down those behind the spread of prank text messages regarding acid rain and radiation exposure because of the explosion in the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan?

Editorial: Conserving Water

PEOPLE can't live without water. It is one of our most basic needs.

Van Vugt: Life is a vocation (Part 3)

A VOCATION is a calling from God. It demands a total commitment, a lifetime commitment to selfless love, because God is love. You really need faith in order to fulfill that commitment. Take for instance what is happening in Japan with the earthquake and the tsunami, a terrible disaster. People really have to help each other in order to survive in such a situation. Why does this happen? Some say, it is a punishment from God. Of course, it is not. God does not punish. This is an act of nature and we have our scientists who can explain to us why this happens.

Emata: Disaster!

RIGHT before our eyes is the scenario of a super disaster that hit the progressive nation of Japan. It looks like the matter can happen only in dreams or in fiction movies.

Van Vugt: Life is a vocation (Part 2)

IN MY previous column, I discussed what Dag Hammarskjöld meant by saying that life is a vocation. Our life is basically a calling from God who, according to his experience, is the Other. God calls us to take responsibility for our own life as well as that of our fellowmen. God is the Other, He is our neighbor. Together we have to take responsibility for the world we live in.

Editorial: Being prepared

ALL people watched with fear how nature destroyed buildings, homes and lives in Japan when an 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck one of the world’s most advanced countries.

Amigo: More problems for P-Noy

ALREADY mired in problems, more concerns await President Aquino when thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Libya return to the country in the ensuing days and weeks.

Wenceslao: A military solution?

WHAT to do with separatists elements who publicly declared they will refuse to abide by any agreement forged between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the government? This is a predicament which confronts the two panels negotiating for peace and is emerging to be a major stumbling block in the talks.

Emata: Corruption and the electric chair

OUR country is notorious when it comes to corruption. In some surveys among Asian countries for the most corrupt countries in the region, we almost always belong to the top five. The matter does not seem to embarrass the Filipinos but instead some are proud about it. The reason perhaps is that many of us are conditioned already of the situation and are not surprised anymore if sometimes we stand straight as number one.

Amigo: Libanan could have made PNoy prouder

I FEEL bad for President Aquino, who cannot catch a breather from controversies.

Editorial: International Women's Day

TODAY, March 8, is the 100th International Women's Day... It's a special day for women.

Van Vugt: Reflections for the Month of Social Action

THE Catholic Church has declared the month of March as Social Action Month.

Editorial: Recognizing women

MARCH is Women’s Month. It is the time of the year when due recognition is given to women for their great contribution to society. Most often, women groups come up with a lot of activities to celebrate this once-a-year occasion to give tribute to outstanding women.

Amigo: Country's watchdog vs corruption has no bite

THE Office of the Ombudsman is supposed to be the country's watchdog against corrupt government officials.

Van Vugt: Peace talks and Buddhism

MY OPEN Letter to Jorge Madlos that I published in my previous column was sent also to Jorge directly through his email address. I am still waiting for a response from Jorge, which he could send to my email address. I hope to get a favorable response from him.

Amigo: We could have been better off than Singapore

ONCE is enough, twice is too much.

President Aquino may have spoken too much when he took another potshot at Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., who earlier said the Philippines could have been another Singapore had not for the Edsa People Power 1 that ousted his father and namesake.

Editorial: The Libya experience

SOME Filipinos working in Libya had gone home this weekend with harrowing stories to tell. No, they did not tell stories about arbitrary killings in strife-torn Libya. Some of these Filipinos recounted how their employers spent for their travel to escape anarchy in Libya.

Van Vugt: Peace talks in Norway

LAST week I have been in Manila in order to attend the Chapter of the Carmelites which was held in the Titus Brandsma Center in New Manila from February 14-18.

I attended the Chapter as a delegate and we elected a new superior, but I had no voting power because I am only an associate member of the Carmelites since I left the priesthood and got married.

Editorial: Guessing on the moon

SLUGGISHNESS is one of the problems of the government in responding to crisis involving Filipino overseas workers. In many instances, overseas Filipino workers are trap in the middle of conflict in countries where they are working. The Philippine government simply sees these problems as “temporary” and worth watching.

More often, we wonder why the government is always apathetic to situations on endangered Filipinos elsewhere outside the country.

Editorial: Stepping backward is not defeat

THE success of peace negotiation between the government and the communist rebels in the country depends on the sincerity of government per se. We know the sensitivity of the issue as both sides want to gain control on the negotiating table.

Amigo: 'Tis the season for demolition

WITH the one-year ban for appointment of losing candidates fast approaching, expect more corruption accusations, political pressure and other scandals to crop up against officials holding "juicy" positions in government.

Editorial: Government energy policy - Anti-people

WHO would believe of a power shortage in Mindanao in 2012 and 2013? But, it seems Mindanao is heading toward that predicament. What with the prediction coming from the government's energy honcho, the motive of the pronouncement is painfully preposterous.

Editorial: Law enforcement and illegal drugs

NEWLY installed drug czar in Northern Mindanao, retired Lt. Col. Edwin Layese, show us what it takes to be at the top of the government’s anti-drug campaign.

Editorial: Cream of the Crop

THIS week, on February 25-26, Cagayan de Oro City will host one of the most important events in Mindanao. This is a celebration of the island’s forgotten and known leaders of past and present.

They shaped the island’s destiny and chartered Mindanao’s fate through the ages of forgotten exploits, of myths and legends where only few men dared.

Bagabuyo: Former Senior State Prosecutor, DOJ

“HOW could I have been so far off base? All my life I’ve known better than to depend on experts. How could I have been so stupid, to let them go ahead?” – President John F. Kennedy, after the day of pigs fiasco

Quezon City - Continued from last Saturday, February 19th on the subject of charter change.

Amigo: P-Noy left out FOI bill

WHATEVER happened to President Aquino's promise to pursue the passage of the Freedom on Information Bill (FOI) under his watch?

Our group, 1st-APLUMA or Unang Alyansang Pambansa at Lokal na Ugnayang Mamamahayag-Manggagawa, was greatly disappointed after learning that P-Noy left out the FOI bill in his priority measures.

Editorial: Bad Omen

IT ALARMS us to hear men in uniform engaged in illegal drug trade. It shows to us how demoralized the system is. It is unthinkable that even the very institution that the people look up to as their protector becomes a source of illegal activities.

Amigo: Upgrade of basic education program a must

TRUE to his campaign promise, President Aquino has included the 12-year basic education program in his 17 priority bills that will be submitted for Congress’ consideration.

The 12-year basic program is designed to replace the current outdated 10-year basic education program, or six years in elementary and four years in high school. In the 12-year set-up, an extra year will be added in the elementary and high school levels.