At the annual gathering of Manila’s foreign press, guests from the American diplomatic corps and the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) surprised us by bursting into song. It was a first for the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP), to be serenaded by those we interview. The song came with this intro - Those who have suffered through Manila’s [...]
Star witness in Ramgen Revilla murder prompts probe of victim’s four siblings
Read Janelle Manahan’s reply-affidavit My exclusive – by Raïssa Robles Left to die, Janelle Manahan summoned all her will and strength to text her family for help. In this gripping eyewitness account of her own attempted murder and the slaying of her live-in partner Ramgen Revilla, young aspiring model-actress Janelle Manahan narrates the events that changed her life [...]
Ramona sketches out
Ramgen Revilla’s murder
Read her signed counter-affidavit By Raïssa Robles Ramona Revilla is the only other living witness – besides girlfriend Janelle Manahan – to the murder of Ramgen Revilla on October 28, 2011. She submitted a 13-page counter-affidavit to the Philippine consulate in Ankara, Turkey last November 24. It is understandably short on details since the police has tagged her as an [...]
Ram Revilla murder:
Tale of the 2 ‘idiot’ killers
Read the actual documents By Raïssa Robles If Carlo J. Caparas, the king of massacre movies, were to make a film out of the Ram Revilla murder, an apt title would be – “God help me, the killers I hired are idiots,” my hubby Alan said. This was after he heard me giggling at times and expressing disbelief while reading [...]
NAIA: Is it terminal?
Probably one of the best persons to pass judgement on the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 is a frequent flyer. Fortunately, I’ve been living with one for many years now. And so today, I’d like to share with you the thoughts of a frequent flyer on why our airport terminal has been cited as one of the worst [...]
US envoy’s ‘sex tourism’ remark may have come from this YouTube video
By Raïssa Robles A YouTube video from an NGO working for years against child trafficking may have been the source of US Ambassador Harry Thomas’ off-the-cuff remark on sex tourists. Two weeks ago, Thomas told a forum of judges: I estimate that maybe up to 40% of foreign men who come here come for sexual tourism and that is [...]
Typhoons and the Filipino spirit
By Raïssa Robles After the electricity went back on and the winds died down, I watched the BBC coverage of Typhoon Nesat which we call Pedring. Why – the well-coiffed anchor woman demanded to know – can’t the Philippines prepare for typhoons if these happen yearly? Her source on the program tried to explain to her that one [...]
Pia Guanio and Steeve Mago in Rome
By Raïssa Robles “Awesome” was the word Pia often used to describe the blitz trip she and Steeve took recently. It was Pia’s first trip ever to Europe – something that my husband Alan had been prodding her to do for YEARS AND YEARS. But Pia’s right. The best way to see Europe, especially Italy, is with someone you [...]
Our airport ramp controllers are paid the same as new call center agents? Jeeez….
By Raïssa Robles Our country’s premiere airport gateway in Metro Manila is now suddenly short of eight “ramp controllers” – you know, those guys who direct those multi-million dollar planes where to go after landing at the tarmac. Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Jose Honrado said today that eight of these controllers resigned last week for higher paying jobs [...]
Make smoking uncool: put yucky “cancer” photos on cigarette boxes
By Raïssa Robles Yawn. The toothless MMDA(Metro Manila Development Authority) has warned it would start arresting people who smoke in public areas. Big deal. This will just turn into another money-making racket for MMDA but will not drastically reduce the number of smokers in the country. What the government has to do is to make smoking uncool by displaying photos [...]
Follow Me on: