Public Lives

Too late

At the resumption of their session last Monday, June 2, senators debated what to do…

Trust and the President

Fresh from attending the 46th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Kuala Lumpur,…

Governance as performance

For many Filipinos, voting in elections is the beginning and end of their civic engagement.…

When voters defy the surveys

Much of the analysis of the recent midterm elections has been retrospective. But to truly…

Electing a pope

A social media exchange on the outcome of the recent papal conclave caught my attention…

Why local elections matter

While much attention in the 2025 midterm elections has centered on control of the Senate,…

The radicalism of Pope Francis

Pope Francis’ 12-year papacy (2013-2025) was, in many ways, a continuation of his immediate predecessors’…

Aging, anxiety, and the art of acceptance

Outside my house, the yard is thick with dry mahogany leaves. They fall continuously, carpeting…

The American utopia  

Donald Trump’s rise in American politics has rested largely on his image as a savvy…

Are Pigos any better?

By now, Filipinos are well acquainted with Philippine offshore gaming operators, better known as Pogos,…