SEP
23
2020

Great speech, Mr. President

If there’s an Emmy for the UN General Assembly speeches, the one he delivered can win the prize for the best written.  The team who put policies to prose should be congratulated. What they put together is the template for presidential addresses: cohesive, coherent and
SEP
18
2020

“Microscopic 1% share of health in P1 T infra budget”

Health share of the 2021 P1 trillion infrastructure pie is a measly “1 percent”, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said, “a kind of budget prioritization that turns a blind eye to the health facility shortages the pandemic has laid bare.” “This is pandemic denialism,”
SEP
17
2020

Allow jeeps’ last patrol, avoid ‘Train to Busan’

Before they are modernized, allow our classic jeepneys their last patrol. They once helped liberate us from invaders. Today, let us allow them to help us fight this virus which has colonized our daily lives. We do this not for sentimental reasons, but because it is based on
SEP
16
2020

Masks, gowns not rocket science: Kung kaya ng Made in Cavite, bakit bibili ng Made in China?

Face mask manufacturing is not “rocket science,” Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said, in batting for a “Buy Filipino” policy in providing protective apparel to the general population and the frontliners.  “Not all of the things we need today should be sourced from
SEP
16
2020

Recto: Graying PH needs more MDs whose studies cost a fraction of intel fund

Producing doctors will cost a fraction of the government’s “intelligence and confidential” fund, but will yield a “high ROI or return of investment” in a country that lacks public health physicians and faces an ageing population. This was pointed out by Senate President Pro
SEP
10
2020

Military camps should be no-go zones for a possible electronic Trojan horse

The Philippines has a land area of 30 million hectares, with military installations occupying a fraction of it, maybe not even 1/10th of 1 percent of the total. Dito can build their sites anywhere in this wide expanse of land — and government should help them — except
SEP
01
2020

Gierran cannot be a one-man army

If he wants to succeed, Gierran cannot be a one-man army. The work ahead is too tough and too big for a lone ranger. He needs to have strong backup, but they should not be the boys from Taft alone. Better to recruit alumni of NBI’s neighbor, the Philippine General Hospital. He
AUG
25
2020

Not just spending reports, Duterte must order agencies to tally help people got

President Duterte should order government agencies to add the most important column in their monthly publication of funds spent, and that is for “goods and services delivered to the people.”  “Spent” is a broad term, and is often used to disguise delays in the delivery of
AUG
25
2020

A presidential TRO against an unconstitutional idea

The President has spoken. It should be read as a cease-and-desist order in big, bold letters by those pushing for this dangerous experiment.  The call of the hour is not for rev gov, but government to rev up its response to the pandemic. A rev gov is not a vaccine against