By Herbert Vego WHAT’S preventing the Supreme Court (SC) from ruling on petitions to declare the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 unconstitutional? Since July 3 when President Rodrigo Duterte signed the measure into law, 19 petitions from various sectors have accumulated thereat. Violation of this law, which expands on the Human Security Act of 2007, could
August 14, 2020
By Herbert Vego WHAT a way to kowtow to the President! That’s how this writer reacted to the news that some congressmen had drafted 12 death penalty bills filed in response to President Rodrigo Duterte’s call to reinstate the death penalty during his 5th State of the Nation Address on July 27, 2020. At
August 12, 2020
By Herbert Vego BUHAY, o kabuhayan? Kabuhi, o pangabuhian? Wherever and in whatever language, that question keeps us wondering whether it’s possible to choose life over livelihood in the time of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The government wants us to observe “protocols” aimed at “flattening the curve”; and the only “scientific” way to
August 10, 2020
By Herbert Vego AS a power consumer, I agree with younger colleague Ted Aldwin Ong, who wrote in a recent article, “Perhaps the owner of More Power will be different.” If Ong was hesitant in saying that, it was because of his own observation that “illegal connection of electricity is a complex and a
August 7, 2020
By Herbert Vego THIS writer has refused to join the chorus of media men who bombard their audience with negative tales about positive cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that border on xenophobia and Sinophobia. Simply put, xenophobia is the irrational fear of the unknown or anything that is beyond one’s comfort zone. Sinophobia, on
August 6, 2020
By Herbert Vego EXCEPT for the presumption that community quarantines may have prevented a bigger wave of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the government-enforced lockdowns may have done more harm than good. It has disabled a returning overseas Filipino worker (OFW) from regaining income lost during five months of “staying safe”. It’s because, having tested COVID-positive on July
August 3, 2020
By Herbert Vego OVER coffee at Hotel del Rio the other day, I confided to my friend Rodolfo an “embarrassing” incident. It was about my chance meeting with a former media colleague whose name I could not mention due to lapse of memory. “Only after we had parted did Montessa’s name flash in my
July 31, 2020
By Herbert Vego PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte did not inspire but despaired us in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) the other day when he said, “Talagang inutil ako dyan, walang magawa.” He was justifying his refusal to stand by the Philippines’ exclusive sovereign rights to the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine
July 29, 2020
By Herbert Vego NO less than Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez shocked everybody when he said that the government would run after online sellers and barter traders who, instead of purchasing goods, exchange items. To the increasing number of Filipinos who have resorted to small-time online selling and barter to avoid depleting limited financial resources
July 27, 2020
By Herbert Vego THE protracted refusal of Panay Electric Co. (PECO) to recognize MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) as the legitimate power distributor in Iloilo City for the next 25 years does not make sense. The transition from PECO to MORE Power was mandated by law (Republic Act 11212), hence has the presumption
July 24, 2020
By Herbert Vego SPEAKER Alan Peter Cayetano made a flawed argument when he blamed “term limits” as the reason behind the proliferation of political dynasties where relatives within the second degree of consanguinity run for different positions either simultaneously or successively. On the contrary and obviously, it’s the non-implementation of the Constitutional provision against
July 22, 2020
By Herbert Vego NOW trending on social media is a video-taped radio broadcast of a former ABS-CBN radio block timer, Waldy Carbonel, pinpointing President Rodrigo as the “boss” who had ordered the House committee on franchises to junk the application of ABS-CBN radio-TV network for a new 25-year franchise. Who can argue with that?
July 20, 2020