MANILA, Philippines—The transition of President Rodrigo Duterte from tough talk to seeming helplessness against corruption was palpable. The President, who once declared he won’t condone even a “whiff” of corruption, has been drawn to saying “you cannot…
MANILA, Philippines — Amid a Senate probe on the alleged overpriced medical supplies bought by the government, President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to find “what’s wrong” with senators, starting with Senator Richard Gordon. “We will not want…
The word “nabuking” (which means one was discovered to have committed a misdeed or done something on the sly) comes from the Filipino root word “buking,” a latter-day derivation from “buko” (accent on the second syllable). Therefore,…
MANILA, Philippines — A warrant of arrest will be issued against former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang after the Senate blue ribbon committee cited him in contempt. During Tuesday’s hearing, Senate blue ribbon committee chairman Senator Richard…
Recently in my newsletter, I repeated my belief that presidents are brought down not by their critics but rather, themselves. Take the President who has remained bulletproof as far as criticism is concerned because of two things.…
