WE heard on a radio newscast that former Congressman Gary Alejano has filed his certificate of candidacy as Magdalo party-list candidate in 2025. He has a mission left unfinished. To recall, sometime in 2018, Alejano requested the Congressional Committee on Health to investigate the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which had raided and closed
October 7, 2024
IN a manner of speaking, the fight has ended before it began. Congresswoman Julienne “Jamjam” Baronda has lost her opportunity to defend her House seat against Raisa Treñas-Chu, only daughter of Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas. That “loss” is actually a win for both the Treñas and Baronda families, whose political rift
October 4, 2024
AS I was writing this yesterday – first day of filing of certificate of candidacy (COC) for election 2025 – Iloilo City was abuzz with speculations that former mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog would sever political alliance with Mayor Jerry Treñas. In other words, they would fight each other for the city “throne”. In
October 2, 2024
ACCORDING to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the average annual income of the Filipino family based on its latest survey (2023), assuming it’s still applicable, stands at ₱353.23 thousand. That looks sufficient because, as the same agency shows, the average annual family expenditure is lower at ₱258.05 thousand. Due to the lopsided
September 30, 2024
DURING my lecture on news writing before the young reporters of Bombo Radyo, I confessed that I was a “young once” in a den of young ones; that I had worked with the Bombo reporters of the 1980s, including Dan Dolido (the father of Don Dolido) and the late Eddie Suede. Old
September 27, 2024
WILL former mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog challenge the incumbent, Jerry Treñas, in election 2025? That is the question that hounds every Juan in Iloilo City, especially because Treñas himself has labelled Mabilog “a worthy opponent” should he run for mayor. The rumored clash stems from the announced break-up of the mayor’s alliance with Rep. Julienne
September 25, 2024
IT was a jubilant homecoming for former Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog on his 59th birthday last Friday (Sept. 20) when he set foot at the Iloilo City Hall after seven years of absence. There he was, celebrating it with incumbent Mayor Jerry Treñas and city employees. But it was also the day when
September 23, 2024
AS vice-president, Sara Duterte is said to be “a heartbeat away from the presidency.” As the “spare tire,” she could automatically replace President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos if he dies, resigns or is incapacitated. If she could not wait, she could forcibly edge out Marcos via impeachment. Conversely, fearful of that possibility, Marcos
September 6, 2024
OUR hospitals today burst at the seams with cases of confined dengue patients. This viral disease – characterized by high fever, aches, skin rashes, muscle and bone pain – stems from bites of female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. It could be fatal when ignored. The local governments of both the city and province
September 4, 2024
ILOILO City Mayor Jerry Treñas and Rep. Julienne “Jamjam” Baronda, erstwhile political allies, should never have blamed each other for failure to help former Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog in his hour of need. Neither of the two could have saved him from the wrath of an angry president. To recap, the two blamed each
September 2, 2024
THIS writer is 74 years old – or a mere 14 years young as a senior citizen. No regrets; I am still actively writing for a living, which I have been doing for 54 straight years since 1970. With good health and mental stability, I hope and pray to write for the
August 30, 2024
EXACTLY one year ago in the last week of August, 2023, an overwhelming majority of customers of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) voted to approve in a plebiscite a joint venture agreement (JVA) with Primelectric Holdings Inc. (PHI). PHI, controlled by majority owner/billionaire Enrique K. Razon Jr., is also the holding
August 28, 2024