Gemma Cruz Araneta | LANDSCAPE He was only 32, a month older than my daughter, Fatimah, who was also born in 1966. Teodoro Brawner Baguilat, Jr. is a Tuwali Ifugao with Gaddang blood. He was elected councilor of Kiangan in 1992, at the tender age of 26 and after serving a 3-year term, he ran for mayor in 1995 and … Read more
President Rodrigo Duterte seems to have a visceral conviction that political dynasties can be good and bad at the same time. When his third term as Davao City mayor was about to end, he asked barangay captains and other local officials about whom they thought should take his place. The unanimous answer was his daughter, … Read more
With bracing directness, Senator Imee Marcos called VP Leni Robredo an “extraordinary housewife”. That was last October 27, when she was interviewed by the gentlemen anchors of “On the Spot”. They asked her to describe all the presidential aspirants. So, Imee said that Senator Bato de la Rosa is a BFF and model policeman; Senator … Read more
These days, the query—what have you done for the country? (Ano bang nagawa mo para sa bayan?) – is a galling trick question intended to mock and discredit. The malicious interrogator does not want you to state how you perform your civic duties, on the contrary, he wants to embarrass you by implying that you … Read more
Recently, along the cyber highway, I found my missing-in-action Haitian friend, Rosemarie Lelong. In 1990, we bade each other tearful goodbyes at “Los Venaditos”, a favorite haunt. We had felt a special affinity, our homelands were shrouded in darkness by military dictatorships. We had a duet of boasts: Haiti was the first black republic in … Read more
(Ang orihinal ay nasa wikang Ingles na sinulat ni Gemma Cruz Araneta) Translated into the Filipino language by Dante A. Ornedo. http://www.gemmacruzaraneta.com/2021/10/leni-robredo-raises-the-standard/ https://mb.com.ph/2021/10/14/leni-robredo-raises-the-standard/ Naitaas ni Vice President Leni Robredo ang pamantayan ng talakayang pampulitika sa ating bansa. Kapuna-puna ito sa talas ng kanyang talumpati nang inanunsyo nya ang kanyang pagsabak sa 2022 elections sa pagkapangulo. … Read more
Translated into the Filipino language by Abdon “Jun” Balde Naitaas ng Pangalawang Pangulong Leni Robredo ang pamantayan sa pampolitikang talakayan sa ating bansa. Ito’y napatunayan sa katotoohan ng kaniyang talumpati, sa Wikang Filipino, nang ipaalam niya na siya ay sasabak sa pagtakbo sa panguluhan sa halalan sa 2022. Pinanood ko ito sa You Tube upang … Read more
Vice -president Leni Robredo has raised the standard of political discourse in this country. That was evident in the acuity of her speech (in Tagalog) announcing that she will run (sasabak ako!) for president in the elections of 2022. I viewed it on YouTube so I could replay sections which I found particularly inspiring. Although … Read more
Pundits, pubic intellectuals, political analysts and media practitioners have spoken and written about the decay of our national institutions. This seemingly unstoppable process threatens the very existence of the Philippines. Our country used to be called the “showcase of democracy” in Asia, do we still deserve that honor, no matter how dubious? No one has … Read more
Tales of Huks, communist horror during the Spanish Civil War, the imminent invasion of Mao Zedong’s red horde were the specters of my sheltered childhood on Donada street, Pasay. Yet, a gentle world unfolded behind the unbreachable stone walls (topped with shards of broken glass) of my Guerrero grandfather’s house. The property merged with those … Read more