Philstar.com

FROM FAR AND NEAR

+ Follow Column

Understanding Duterte extremists

by Ruben D. Almendras - March 24, 2025 - 12:00am

The recent arrest of Duterte and immediate transfer to The Hague for arraignment triggered a flood of main and social media content of almost warlike proportion.

Playing the victim card

by Ruben Almendras - March 17, 2025 - 12:00am

n the battle for public opinion especially in politics, part of the arsenal of astute politicians and their handlers is to “play the victim card”.

Recollections/lessons of the Edsa Revolution

by Ruben Almendras - March 3, 2025 - 12:00am

The 39th Anniversary of the Philippines People Power Revolution that happened in EDSA and other parts of the country was celebrated last February 25 more significantly than in the previous years.

Grave threats or threats from the grave

by Ruben D. Almendras - February 24, 2025 - 12:00am

The impeachment of VP Sara dominated the main and social media last week, and will continue until some of the major issues are resolved, especially the start and the timeline of the impeachment process.

Escudero for president in 2028

by Ruben D. Almendras - February 17, 2025 - 12:00am

There are and will be more news/views in the main and social media about the impeachment of VP Sara Duterte, that we will have to sort out which of them are fake news, propaganda, and relevant and useful for the...

Hyperbole, irony and impeachment

by Ruben D. Almendras - February 10, 2025 - 12:00am

The big news in Philippine politics last week was the impeachment of VP Sara Duterte by the House of Representatives, with at least 215 congress members signing the petition.

Disturbing events/sentiments in the US

by Ruben Almendras - February 3, 2025 - 12:00am

It has only been two weeks that Trump has been in office as US president and his pronouncements, initiatives, and executive orders are disturbing, roiling, and destabilizing the government bureaucracy, the economy,...

BBM/Marcos ambivalent offensive on Dutertes

by Ruben Almendras - January 27, 2025 - 12:00am

Two recent developments highlighted again the ambivalence of the BBM/Marcos approach in their conflict with the Duterte Family and political group.

Implications of crowd size in events

by Ruben Almendras - January 20, 2025 - 12:00am

In the last two weeks there were three events with large crowds that have important and long-term meanings.

ABS-CBN rewind/redux?

by Ruben Almendras - January 13, 2025 - 12:00am

A bit of news that was in the main and social media last week was the filing by Congressman Salceda of House Bill No. 11252, to grant ABS-CBN a new 25-year franchise for a nationwide broadcasting network.

Marcos-Duterte War Phase II

by Ruben Almendras - January 6, 2025 - 12:00am

In the two days after the new year, two noteworthy developments happened in the ongoing conflict between the Marcoses and the Dutertes.

Why we celebrate the longest Christmas

by Ruben Almendras - December 23, 2024 - 12:00am

We Filipinos claim that we have the longest Christmas in the world, and no other country or nationality has refuted this. There are many Christmas villages in some countries that are open the whole year, but they...

Winners/loser in the fall of Syria’s Assad

by Ruben Almendras - December 16, 2024 - 12:00am

After 41 years of brutal dictatorial rule, or more than 50 years if we include the reign of his father, Bashar al-Assad was driven out of Syria as the rebels entered Damascus last December 8.

Winners/losers in the VP impeachment

by Ruben Almendras - December 9, 2024 - 12:00am

The impeachment process to remove Duterte as vice president has started and ongoing.

Winners/losers in the Marcos-Duterte war

by Ruben Almendras - December 2, 2024 - 12:00am

Even with the toned-down rhetoric of BBM and restraining impeachment moves on VP Duterte, the war between the Marcoses and the Dutertes is far from over.

Classic VP Duterte meltdown or…

by Ruben Almendras - November 25, 2024 - 12:00am

The standoff in Congress of VP Duterte while staying with her chief-of-staff Zuleika Lopez in detention and resistance to have her transferred to the women’s correctional facility was all over the news and...

Why Harris lost the US elections

by Ruben Almendras - November 18, 2024 - 12:00am

I was the speaker at a club forum after the US election on the effects of a Trump presidency in America, the world and in the Philippines.

Trump: a test for US democracy and institutions

by Ruben Almendras - November 11, 2024 - 12:00am

On January 6, 2025, Trump will assume the presidency of the US with the political, social, and economic environment of the US and the world more complicated/complex than in his previous term as president.

Unfit for public office

by Ruben D. Almendras - November 4, 2024 - 12:00am

Recent events have highlighted the issue of the fitness for public office of many of our elected public officials and candidates, with seven months to go before the May 2025 Philippines midterm elections.

Fallout of the Marcos-Duterte war

by Ruben Almendras - October 28, 2024 - 12:00am

Quite a lot and enough has been said and written on the ongoing battle between the Marcos and Duterte families, and the conflict isn’t going to end soon.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ... | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24

Get Updated: