By Herman M. Lagon A few nights ago, I posted a question online that sounded half-sarcastic, half-exhausted: “What do you call a person who, after everything is said and done, will still vote for and defend the corrupt, the sloth, the gasbag, the inept, the vile, the crass, the trapo, the greedy, the prig, and/or …
OPINION
Who will win the Hormuz endurance game?
Deadlocked, dysfunctional and dangerous. That is how the Strait of Hormuz standoff is increasingly being described. Now approaching its fourth month, the crisis off Iran’s coast is marked by mutual blockades. Tehran has been charging ships up to $2 million for safe passage through the strait, while the United States has imposed a naval embargo, …
Gaslighting the public: When narratives stop adding up
By Herman M. Lagon The strangest thing about last week’s Senate hullabaloo was not even the gunshots. Filipinos are no strangers to noisy politics and emotional press briefings. Still, what disturbed many people last week was not just the Senate shooting narrative itself, but the sense that the public was being asked to doubt its …
The breath in Pentecost
By Fr. Roy Cimagala The gospel of the Mass on the Solemnity of Pentecost reminds us of that part where Christ breathed on the apostles and gave them the breath of God in a way that was new and was greater than the breath God gave Adam during the Creation. “Peace be to you,” Christ …
A crisis inside the Senate: What the Bato incident reveals about our politics today
By Ignacio R. Bunye The events that unfolded inside the Senate last week read like a scene lifted from a political thriller: armed men, raised voices, a sudden burst of gunfire, and a sitting senator slipping out of the building under the cover of confusion. But this was no fiction. It happened in the heart …
The right to speak
By Herman M. Lagon A public school teacher posts online about students squeezing themselves under a single electric fan during the peak of summer heat. A government nurse tweets about finishing another shift handling too many patients at once. A municipal employee quietly vents frustration over delayed salaries for job-order workers. Then somebody eventually comments: …
Youngsters turn to AI chatbots for emotional support: survey
Nearly one in two young people in Europe have used AI chatbots to discuss intimate or personal matters, as the technology increasingly serves as a source of emotional support, an Ipsos BVA survey showed. Of the 3,800 people surveyed, 51 percent said it was “easy” to discuss mental health and personal issues with a chatbot. …
Senior concerns
By Dr. Joseph D. Lim As people age, maintaining good oral health becomes increasingly important. Senior citizens face unique dental issues that can significantly impact their overall health, quality of life and even nutrition. Understanding these challenges and adopting proper oral care strategies can help seniors preserve their teeth and gums well into old age. …
We are meant to give life to others
By Fr. Roy Cimagala When Christ chose 12 apostles to work closely with him in his mission of human redemption, (cfr. Matthew 10:1-7) we are reminded that Christ actually wants all of us to continue with his work of human redemption, imparting the true life meant for us to everyone. This can be gleaned from …
When emotion overrides reason in public debate
By Herman M. Lagon One quiet tragedy in today’s political culture is how difficult sensible disagreement has become online. Public discussions online have become harder to navigate because emotions now often overpower evidence. People who disagree are quickly labeled enemies, and thoughtful criticism is treated as personal hatred. What was once imagined as a democratic …