Month: August 2015
-
Dear Ka Eduardo: An open letter to INC’s executive minister
[UPDATE: The INC rallies are over. Metro Manila is back to normal.] Aug. 29, 2015 Ka Eduardo V. Manalo Executive Minister Iglesia ni Cristo Dear Ka Eduardo: I am respectfully addressing this letter to you as a fellow Filipino citizen and because you are the Iglesia ni Cristo’s executive minister, an honored and responsible position…
-
Zero Remittance Day: Tamang panahon, tamang paraan
Sa totoo lang, tuloy pa rin ang inspection, pagnanakaw at pambabastos ng Customs sa mga balikbayan box. Bakit? Dahil di naman inatras ni PNoy ang inutos nitong P600-milyong target para sa Customs. Kukunin ito ng Customs mula sa mga balikbayan box na mapapatunayang sangkot sa “smuggling”. (Gagamit lang sila ngayon ng aso at x-ray machine…
-
Balikbayan box as political casket
It was somewhat unexpected that this would ever happen under the watch of the son of a great man who, not unlike OFWs, spent years living abroad in exile before coming home a hero. The son should know better, having lived in exile with his father. But it has happened and it is being defended…
-
Uber, GrabTaxi: Disruption isn’t enough
For a metropolis with run-down trains, horrible traffic, and “choosy” taxi drivers, the app-based Uber and GrabTaxi services give Metro Manila folk a new choice. With a few taps, one could order a private car and get past the usual troubles hailing a taxi or driving one’s own car. The rates are reasonably lower than…
-
Dear Senators: Here are 6 reasons why SIM card registration is a scam
Aug. 14, 2015 Dear Senators: On behalf of TXTPower.org Inc., the Computer Professionals Union (CPU), the Advocates of Science and Technology for the People (AGHAM) and our communities, we are writing to strongly urge you to help slay this Frankenstein-like monster called “mandatory SIM card registration”. It is back from the dead, threatening our people…
-
#PUSO2019: Broken hearts and infrastructure
The news broke the nation’s heart: FIBA turned down the Philippines’ bid to host the FIBA World Cup in 2019. It was not so much that FIBA thumbed down the Philippines’ magnificent pitch. It was the realization that the country lacked the adequate infrastructure to host such a huge sporting event. It was the reality…
-
Makabayang KontraSONA
Here’s the full text of the Makabayang KontraSONA delivered by House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Neri Colmenares of Bayan Muna on August 10, 2015 at the House of Representatives: Kay Speaker Sonny Belmonte, mga kapwa mambabatas, mga kawani ng Kamara de Representante, mga bisita at kaibigan, magandang hapon sa inyo. Ginoong Speaker, may kasabihan po…
-
UNFAIR MATRIX: Facts and figures about MRT and LRT
No, the MRT is not owned by the government. It is owned by MRT Corp. in a Public-Private Partnership project deal in 1995 or 20 years ago this year. Under the Aquino administration, two of highest ranking Liberal Party leaders oversaw the MRT-LRT as secretaries of the Department of Transportation and Communication: Mar Roxas (2011-2012) and Jun…