A world of pure imagination

If you’re an artist, imagination is a premium asset. If you’re a lawyer, the ability to imagine helps to think out of the box and that can lead to theories and arguments never before heard of nor used that can be helpful not only to a client but to jurisprudence as well. But when you ... (more)

A wifely advice

A couple of days ago, Speedy and I were watching a TV program on Bio Channel about a man and his daughter who were reunited after many, many years. The father and his wife separated when the girl was just a toddler, both eventually remarried, and the mother refused to allow any contact between father ... (more)

Of mafia dons and unproven accusations

Last Tuesday’s Senate session was shocking. And that’s an understatement. By now, we’re used to sensational exposes on the Senate floor but senators squabbling during a session, and in full public view, is not that common – yet. With the quality of elected officials we have been getting, perhaps in time, squabbling will become a ... (more)

Singapore’s Integrated Resorts: some thoughts on gambling and casinos

Last November, while taking a “duck tour” around Singapore’s Marina Bay, the Filipino tour guide, Chris, pointed to three side-by-side structures still under construction. He explained that they were the hotels within the Marina Bay Sands Resort, the second integrated resort in Singapore, the first being the Resorts World in Sentosa. The soft launch of ... (more)

About Manila clams

The term “Manila clams” has had me intrigued for a long time. According to my reading, they are exported by Japan and the clams themselves are native to Japan. If that were so, why are they called Manila clams? I don’t like getting political about food but I distinctly remember that sometime during the infamous ... (more)

Required by international law

muster station aboard the Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas

What Haiti needs and does not need

Last week, I came across a news report where U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was quoted as saying, “It is biblical, the tragedy that continues to stalk Haiti and the Haitian people” (from “Clinton scraps South Pacific trip after Haiti quake,” Reuters, January 14, 2010). I posted it on Twitter and commented that I ... (more)

The ‘deemed-resigned’ issue

After thousands of voter’s IDs were recovered from the mansion of Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. in Shariff Aguak, Col. Leo Ferrer, 601st Infantry Brigade commander, was asked whether the IDs were authentic. He said he couldn’t tell — how could he when he didn’t even have a voter’s ID? Well, that makes two of ... (more)

Federalism, political dynasties and private armies

I was aboard the cruise ship Legend of the Seas on a much-needed vacation when I heard about the incident at Ampatuan. I was in my state room watching the news on CNN when the familiar voice of Maria Ressa went on the air and what I heard so shocked me that my coffee had ... (more)

Stories from Singapore

When you walk the streets of Singapore, prowl the malls or ride in the train, it isn’t unusual to overhear conversations in Filipino. There are, after all, about a hundred thousand Filipinos in Singapore. So many, in fact, that inside the Lucky Plaza along Orchard Road, one finds many shops and services that cater to ... (more)

Do we really require a moral leader?

When the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky affair broke out in the 1990s and people were talking about impeachment, my position was that Clinton should be held liable for lying, perjury if under oath (he initially denied having relations with Lewinsky), but not for having an affair with her. Most of my friends disagreed because ... (more)

Her ever changing civil status

I used to admire Loren Legarda back when she was a young newscaster and TV host. She was refreshing and articulate with a personality that commanded attention. Several years later, she became different. She would newscast in a staccato voice and I couldn’t quite understand if it was the effect of a newfound self-confidence or ... (more)