When I found out that I was on the fast track to needing regular dialysis, I did the worst thing possible: I slipped into denial. Armed with just the meds prescribed by the nephrologist to delay the inevitable degradation of my kidneys – mostly ketoanalogues intended to treat and prevent damage caused
January 24, 2025
By James Jimenez A long time and another lifetime ago, I – like every other law student – used to write case digests as a way of studying jurisprudence in law school. For those who are wondering, a case digest is a concise summary of a court decision (usually the Supreme Court) that highlights its
January 20, 2025
At a recent vin d’honneur, hosted by Malacañang for the diplomatic corps – with ambassadors from 54 countries and the heads of 11 international organizations in attendance – the President urged support for the Philippines’ bid for one of the 10 non-permanent seats at the United Nations Security Council. The last time
January 13, 2025
I have long ago given up on being able to differentiate between candidates based on ideology or theory of government. For as long as I’ve been voting, the common complaint has always been that one candidate is almost indistinguishable from any other – all of them support the same things; all of
January 10, 2025
Over the holidays, I’ve received a lot of queries regarding sexual harassment. Apparently, Christmas parties can be so effective at loosening people’s inhibitions that they tend to forget we are no longer living in the raucous 80’s when pretty much anything could be excused by one’s inebriation. Too be clear, drunkenness isn’t
January 8, 2025
We say that of every election – that it is the most important, the most consequential, the most critical. And in a sense, we are mostly right every time as every election truly determines the country’s course for the next three years. The upcoming mid-term elections – the 2025 National and Local
January 6, 2025
By James Jimenez Congratulations! You’ve made it to the New Year and you are now almost a quarter of the way through the 21st century. Amazing, when you think of it in those terms. 1925 was a massive year, in terms of cultural, scientific, and political events around the globe – it saw the birth
January 2, 2025
In a couple of days, we will all be ringing in 2025. And with the turning of the year, Philippine democracy will also be rounding the corner into an election – the 2025 National and Local Elections, scheduled for the 12th of May. But that’s more than four months away. For right
December 30, 2024
By James Jimenez Every voter plays a three-fold role in elections: first, as partner of the Commission on Elections, with as great a stake in the success of the elections as the COMELEC itself; second, as a citizen in a democracy, charged with making the awesome choice of who gets to lead us going into
December 27, 2024
Polymer notes – currency made from a durable and flexible plastic material known for their resistance to water and dirt, and therefore, their longevity – are still struggling to find acceptance. I, myself, am not a fan of polymer money, and so the recent news that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)
December 23, 2024
There are two things about me that are not of common knowledge. First, that I am currently undergoing regular dialysis, in the wee hours of the morning, three times a week; and second, that my senior mother lives under my care. Over the weekend, these two things came together. You see, last
December 16, 2024
The big idea is this: every voter fulfills a tripartite rule in our elections: first, as partner of the Commission on Elections; secondly, as a political citizen in a democracy; and third, as an evangelist for democracy. COMELEC PARTNER Every voting citizen is a stakeholder in elections – we all stand to
December 13, 2024