By Ade S. Fajardo The Supreme Court has published the individual opinions of the justices who agreed with the majority to deny Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s bid for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against his impending arrest. Five justices dissented. They voted to enjoin the threatened arrest in the meantime that the court is …
OPINION
Tell it to the ‘18 Marines’
By Herman M. Lagon There is a reason many parents instinctively ask follow-up questions when a child comes home with a dramatic story. The moment the details start changing, suspicion naturally follows. The missing notebook was supposedly stolen. Then it was left in the classroom. Later it was borrowed by a classmate. Eventually, nobody knows …
Hostilities flare again in Iran war, talks at a stalemate
Gulf hostilities flared anew, with the US military saying Iranian missile attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and other regional targets were either thwarted or failed as diplomacy between Washington and Tehran showed little progress. Two Iranian missiles shot at Kuwait fell short or broke apart in flight, several ballistic missiles aimed at regional targets failed and …
Twelve, thirteen and everything else
By Herman M. Lagon Few things reveal the priorities of a political institution more than what it chooses to fight about. This week, while people worried about prices, jobs, classrooms, and public services, the Senate found itself trapped in a dispute over whether the answer was 12 or 13. One camp insisted that 12 senators …
The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ
By Fr. Roy Cimagala The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, or Corpus Christi, should spur us to sharpen our understanding and appreciation of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, where Christ himself, both God and man, gives himself completely to us — body, soul, his humanity, and divinity — so we can …
UN: Protecting children online an ‘urgent priority’
Making the digital world safe for children is an urgent priority, the United Nations (UN) said, adding that those responsible for online harm must be held to account. UN rights chief Volker Turk said states had to force tech giants to embed child safety into their platforms, and said child harm was the direct result …
The ICC trial of Rodrigo Duterte is more than a courtroom drama
By Ignacio R. Bunye The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to try former President Rodrigo Duterte on November 30, 2026 is a watershed moment that forces the Philippines to confront hard questions about justice, sovereignty and the strength of its institutions. Beyond politics, the trial carries economic consequences the nation cannot ignore. Never before has …
Has Cayetano become the deadlock?
By Herman M. Lagon There comes a point when a dispute stops being about personalities and starts becoming about responsibility. That is where the debate over Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano seems to be heading. For many Filipinos, the concern is no longer whether they support or oppose him. It is whether the Senate can …
Digital rights group: Internet should promote equality, not exploitation
Digital spaces should be used for democratic participation, creativity, inclusion and equality, not for surveillance, exploitation and exclusion, a digital rights group said in its annual report. In its digital rights report for 2025, the Foundation for Media Alternatives’ (FMA) said digital systems meant to promote inclusion “easily deepen inequality, silence dissent and expose communities …
When the tongue speaks
By Dr. Joseph D. Lim The human tongue is one of the body’s most overlooked diagnostic tools. Beyond enabling speech and taste, this muscular organ can serve as an early warning system for a range of underlying health issues. From subtle color changes to painful sores, tongue problems often signal more than just irritation — …