Cory Aquino: 1933-2009

I met Cory Aquino only once, before she found out she had cancer. The Foreign Correspondents of the Philippines (FOCAP) was trying to invite her as a speaker, ad the board of directors met with her. It was just a cordial meeting, not an on the record presser, and so no one wrote about what was said.
Yet what she said was very interesting.

Faculty Follies

Pictures from December 15 ’08’s ” Faculty Follies.”

Scenes from a rally (12-12-08)

Judging from the size of the crowd that demonstrated against Charter Change on December 12, 2008, cha-cha will push through, if not this year, then next year.

Human rights lawyer abducted, illegally arrested

On October 23, as the police leadership used the term “due process” to explain why they have so far failed to find out the source of the P6.9 million that a now-retired general was caught with in Russia, a human rights lawyer was abducted and illegally arrested.

Goodbye, Joegar

The last time I saw him, he looked almost the same as he did, 10, 15 years ago. From what I knew, Joegar was a good man — he didn’t play around, he wasn’t grumpy (many editors are, when they’re at the desk; there’s something about editing that takes the humor out of a person), and he was nice to us correspondents. The last time I saw him I got his phone number and we agreed we should go out for coffee one day.
He passed away last Saturday. “Our former colleague Jo Garcia suffered a heart attack after playing tennis in Laguna,” read the text message I got. “Let’s pray for his eternal peace.” Yes, let’s. One more writer writes -30-. (click here to read the story).

Congrats to Pete Lacaba!

One of my favorite editors (not to mention poet, writer, and Filipino) is Cinemanila’s Lifetime Achievement Awardee for this year (click here for more details). I think Sir Pete needs a bigger house (for all the awards he keeps getting). 🙂

A forgotten crisis

We read about the Somali pirates who kidnap our seamen, but what about their people?
There but for the grace of God, go I. Should we blame the Somalis for what has become of their country? Was there anything they could have done to change their lives? But if the answer is none, then how do we know that we will not one day find ourselves in their shoes? Read and weep, at least for the babies who die without ever having known the fullness of life, this article on the New York Times.

Those who have turned their backs on their own cause

“They proclaim that change is impossible — and they see to it that it can’t happen by opposing it. They’re the self-fulfilling prophecies that have helped keep this country in the depths of the brutality, despair, hunger and hopelessness that defines life for the millions fighting for survival in these isles of want. When the time comes they will be remembered only with contempt; their names are truly writ on water.”
Not my words, but UP Prof. Luis Teodoro’s. Click here to read more.

Covering China

CNN China bureau chief Jimmy Florcruz

From left: Gabby Tabunar, Jimmy Florcruz, Jason Gutierrez, Mario Miclat (on the podium)

Socialite Rosemarie Arenas was among those listened to Jimmy’s talk about China

CNN’s China bureau chief Jimmy Florcruz was FOCAP’s guest speaker for our second Teodoro Benigno Lecture Series. Jimmy went to China 37 years ago, in an “open ended tour” that turned into years of exile when the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law shortly after Jimmy went to China.

Moot Court

One learns by doing, so they say, so today we played justices and tried the case of Romulo Neri vs Senate. The question was, could Neri invoke executive privilege on the three questions the Senate committee on transparency wanted him to answer?