Journal
Math of the Absurd: Why Remulla’s 10,000 Deaths Warning Became the Ultimate Political Joke
In modern political theater, a sound bite is meant to be a masterclass in persuasion. Sometimes, though, it turns into pure comedy. When spin doctors aim for gravitas, they occasionally deliver a punchline instead—proving that the public remembers the absurdity rather than the intended propaganda. Take the recent performance by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla. On October 20, he claimed authorities were delicately negotiating with a group in Mindanao for the turnover of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. His justification for skipping a standard arrest? Pushing the issue could trigger an apocalyptic showdown resulting in—wait for it—up to 10,000 deaths, according to GMA News. Ten thousand! One wonders if he was planning an arrest or predicting a full-scale alien invasion. Unsurprisingly, the internet did not burst
Tigso: The Golden Hour of Our Lunch Breaks
Series: Game of Titos and Titas – Part 8 Key Takeaways Tigso is the Bisaya name for the game known in Tagalog areas as agawan base Two teams of five to eight, two bases — a pole, a tree, a rock, whatever the schoolyard offered — and a bantay who never leaves his The core rule: you may only tag someone who left their base before you did Get tagged and you stand prisoner in enemy ground until a teammate breaks in and touches you free The bantay could leave the base to make a tag — but the base stood unguarded while he did The losing team crawled through the stretched legs of every winner: “Kamang ang mga pildi!” In grades four and
The Right to a Complete Defense: Why Due Process Matters in Impeachment Trials
After nearly 40 days of presenting evidence, the prosecution withdrew Articles I, III, and IV of the impeachment complaint. However, the defense is still expected to remain silent on those withdrawn allegations. Here is an analysis of why restricting the defense’s response undermines fundamental fairness. On October 13, 2026, the House prosecution panel, through Lead Prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro, manifested that it would no longer pursue Article I (confidential funds), Article III (bribery), and Article IV (grave threats/assassination plot). Instead, it chose to proceed solely with Article II, which concerns unexplained wealth, Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) issues, and prohibited business interests. The Senate impeachment court, under Presiding Officer Sen. Francis Escudero, accepted the withdrawal. Articles I and IV were withdrawn with
Tubig-Tubig: The Game We Drew With Water
Series: Game of Titos and Titas – Part 9 Key Takeaways Tubig-tubig is the Bisaya name for the game known in Tagalog areas as patintero The name comes from the water we used to draw the lines on a dusty road — the only game in this series whose name anybody could explain Attackers run the grid end to end and back; guards must keep both feet on their line Boys and girls played together, and the sides were whoever turned up There was no fixed forfeit — the losers’ punishment was agreed beforehand, like everything else The grid is drawn to fit the turnout — three cross-lines at minimum, more when more children come, so nobody is left out The captain liboter works the
Tumba Lata: What We Called Tumbang Preso Back Home
Series: Game of Titos and Titas – Part 6 Key Takeaways In Padada we called it tumba lata — knock the can. In Tagalog areas it’s tumbang preso It was the easiest game to get going, because nobody had to fetch anything — the equipment was already on our feet and in the rubbish The equipment was an empty tin can and the slippers off your own feet — or flat stones, for the bolder games Your slipper is the pamato, the same word we used for the shooter in holen The bantay cannot tag anybody until he has stood the can back up, so every hit resets him and buys everyone a window A bantay who could never escape was called baboy — the
Super El Niño in the Philippines: How Scared Should We Be?
We’ve been hearing about El Niño for as long as most of us can remember. It usually means hotter days, less rain and reminders to save water. Then the rains return, the dams refill and life goes on. This time feels different. The media now call it a Super El Niño, and the forecasts behind that name are hard to ignore. So the question at the back of my mind is simple: how scared should we actually be? And what can ordinary Filipinos do about it? What PAGASA Says About the Super El Niño PAGASA says a strong El Niño is already present in the Pacific. It expects the event to intensify into a “very strong” state between October and December 2026 and to persist