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Continue reading →: Alvarez Accuses, Quimbo Defends: The Battle Over Budget TransparencyBy Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo -+ January 28, 2025 THE Philippine Congress is no stranger to controversy, but the recent uproar over blank items in the 2025 budget bill has sparked a heated debate that cuts to the heart of legislative integrity, public trust, and the rule of law. At…
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Continue reading →: A Test of Integrity: The Ethics Complaint Against Dan Fernandez and the Fight for Congressional CredibilityBy Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — January 28, 2025 IN THE corridors of the Philippine House of Representatives, where ideals of integrity and justice are meant to shine, a fresh scandal threatens to cast another shadow. Atty. Ferdinand Topacio’s ethics complaint against Laguna Representative Dan Fernandez, filed on behalf of…
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Continue reading →: Health Secretary Herbosa Sounds the Alarm: A Nation in Need of More Hospital BedsBy Louis ‘Barok’ C Biraogo — January 27, 2025 IMAGINE a mother clutching her feverish child, racing to a hospital only to find no beds available. This is the reality for millions in the Philippines, where the hospital bed shortage has reached crisis levels. With just 0.5 beds per 1,000…
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Continue reading →: Intercepted at NAIA: A Narrow Escape from Modern-Day SlaveryBy Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — January 28, 2025 A ‘free trip’ to Vietnam turned into a one-way ticket to modern-day slavery for three Filipinos intercepted at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on January 20, 2025. Promised a dream vacation by their employer, they were instead being trafficked for forced…
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Continue reading →: Undermining the 14th Amendment: How Trump’s Attack on Birthright Citizenship Threatens America’s SoulBy Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — January 28, 2025 Few words have shaped a nation’s identity as powerfully as the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. More than a legal provision, it is a moral covenant, forged in the aftermath of the Civil War—a solemn vow that all born on…
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Continue reading →: Palace Denies Blocking Impeachment, But Strongly Recommends Everyone Chill OutBy Louis ‘Barok’ C Biraogo — January 27, 2025 AH, Philippine politics: where the laws are optional, the drama is mandatory, and the latest showstopper is the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte. With a plot straight out of a political telenovela—think betrayal, finger-pointing, and a liberal sprinkling of ‘Who,…
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Continue reading →: Mandating Debates, Undermining Democracy: The Comelec’s Constitutional MisstepBy Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — January 27, 2025 WHAT happens when the gatekeeper of democracy starts playing kingmaker? The Comelec’s latest rule, proposed under Chairman George Garcia, threatens to flip the electoral process on its head. By mandating senatorial candidates to join debates—or face disqualification—the Comelec risks trampling constitutional…
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Continue reading →: The COMELEC Should Restudy the Law on Nuisance CandidatesBy Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — January 26, 2025 WHEN millions of pesos in taxpayer money go down the drain because of bureaucratic blunders, who’s held accountable? The Philippines’ Commission on Elections (Comelec) finds itself at the center of controversy, accused of unfairly disqualifying ‘nuisance candidates’ who met constitutional qualifications.…
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Continue reading →: Ironclad Promises, Fragile Waters: Navigating the US-Philippines-China TriangleBy Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — January 26, 2025 THE South China Sea is no longer just a flashpoint—it’s a ticking time bomb. Under the newly installed Trump administration, the United States has doubled down on its ‘ironclad commitment’ to the Philippines, signaling a more assertive stance in the region.…
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Continue reading →: Make Artificial Islands Great Again: The China Guide to PeacekeepingBy Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — January 27, 2025 IN THE ongoing saga of ‘Who’s Got the Bigger Missile?’, the Philippines, China, and the United States have once again taken their rivalry to the South China Sea, where diplomatic finesse meets military posturing in a high-stakes cha-cha-cha. At this point,…






