Unholy weeks next

By Alex P. Vidal

“Today or any day that phone may ring and bring good news.” —Ethel Waters

SOME of us were able to heave a sigh of relief the previous week, the Holy Week, when peace and order improved temporarily and political bickering took a back seat while many Christian believers engaged in increased prayer and fasting, particularly on Good Friday, as a form of spiritual discipline.

We are now back to reality. In the news, a man, burdened by casino debts, tried to wipe out his entire family but succeeded only in killing his wife. During a drunken spree, three people were stabbed and shot and were in critical condition in the hospital as of this writing, and so on and so forth.

Crime is back to an alarming rate. There is bedlam in the streets as traffic snarl once again is giving terrible inconvenience to a lot of motorists despite the massive restructuring and repair of main roads and highways.

After reenactments of the stations of the cross took place in the streets in relation to the Holy Week, some people are reenacting their old mischievous and felonious ways.

The main problems of Filipinos remain to be deeply intertwined.  Widespread corruption undermining Philippine governance, fueling poverty, and hindering development; significant inequality, including poverty and lack of opportunities; persistent issues with crime and illegal drugs, exacerbated by the controversial war on drugs; and challenges in governance.

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These factors contribute to broader issues like insufficient infrastructure, poor public services, and disparities between urban and rural areas.

Adding to the conundrum is the impeachment efforts against Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, which gained momentum in early 2025 and 2026, primarily focus on allegations of misusing over P612.5 million in confidential funds, betrayal of public trust, and corruption.

The complaints, largely fueled by a falling-out with the Marcos administration, accuse her of submitting fraudulent liquidation reports, threatening the President, and violating the constitution.

While the emboldened House of Representatives voted to impeach her in February 2025, the Supreme Court has previously intervened to stop proceedings based on the “one-year rule” (no more than one impeachment per year), but new complaints for 2026 are now advancing.

It seems there will be another “unholy” weeks and even months ahead after the Holy Week.

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Below is the email I received from New York Governor Kathy Hochul, which she also sent to fellow New Yorkers:

Alex, This week, Jewish communities across New York and throughout the world are gathering together around the Seder table to rejoice in shared tradition and celebrate the story of their liberation.

Passover reminds all of us that if we are willing to summon our courage and believe in ourselves, there’s nothing we cannot accomplish.

This lesson of Passover is especially important to keep in mind today, in these difficult times where we see rising antisemitism at home and abroad. As your Governor, I am doing everything in my power to protect our Jewish neighbors — from making historic investments to tackle hate crimes to fighting for strong buffer-zone protections around synagogues and other religious sites.

I was raised as a social justice Catholic in Buffalo.

My parents taught us that life is all about fighting for a better, more just and equitable world.

As our Jewish neighbors say at the Seder every year as they hold up the matzah: “This is the bread of poverty which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. All who are hungry, come and eat… all who are needy, come and celebrate.”

These words are an important reminder that our own freedom is bound up with the freedom of others — and that we must continue to work together to create a world where no one struggles for the basic freedoms that are the natural born right of every human being.

To all those celebrating, Chag Kasher v’Sameach! Gov. Kathy Hochul

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FEAR OF UNDRESSING. Dishabiliophobia is the fear of undressing in front of someone: In the first place, who would have the guts to undress in front of someone? Even some couples possess this fear. Undressing in front of a mirror is even nerve-tingling!

PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (P.M.S.). For two to ten days before the onset of menstruation, millions of women are affected by a wide range of physical discomforts and mood disorders–from bloating, depression, and insomnia to severe pains, uncontrolled rages, crying spells, and even suicidal depression. This is known as P.M.S. (Vitamin Bible)

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)