inside Philippine politics and beyond
[I would like to share with you this story I wrote, which remains relevant to this day. Here is one individual who truly deserved the Ramon Magsaysay Award for public service. She is a Filipina ahead of her time and one I truly admire. Ms. Rosal turns 81 this year.] Philippine domestic helper Marivic Parrenas was jailed in Saudi [...]
To the Theresians in bikini from a true-blue Theresian By Raïssa Robles So the universe seems to have crashed all around you. The entire school knows who you all are and the whole world has been told of your folly (thanks to the foreign wires). I’ve just heard that one of you is even contemplating suicide. Don’t. Please let me [...]
In the interest of fairness and justice, I would like to share with you this very fascinating glimpse of the man who is now at the center of a political firestorm – Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. The excellently written sketch was written by Maria Rosa “Bing” Nieva Carrion, a former schoolmate of CJ Corona’s wife, Cristina. At the [...]
An Exclusive From Raïssa Robles Cocooned in a white tent during a typhoon, popular celebrity Pia Guanio cried with tears of joy as she said “I do” to businessman Steeve Mago. Their wedding was originally set for May next year in Italy but because Steeve’s pregnant sister would not have been able to fly there, the couple decided to move [...]
Thank you. Thank you for dropping by my blog and taking part in the discussions. Thank you for taking the time to point out my typo errors and my mental lapses. It’s been a wonderful, sometimes painful and gruelling adventure with you all. I’m here for the long haul, don’t worry. And I know you’ll be joining me, too, every [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
By Raïssa Robles This interview with Customs Deputy Commissioner Danilo Lim and the accompanying sidebar on smuggling were recently published in Asian Dragon magazine. I am posting these with the magazine’s permission. If the former jailed rebel general Danilo Lim continues to look grim these days, he has good reason to be. Lim, 56, has been handed the chance [...]
By Raïssa Robles Today we commemorate the birth of Andres Bonifacio, father of the native revolt against Spain. There were sporadic revolts under the Spanish yoke but it was Bonifacio who brought the resistance close to the seat of Spanish power. Bonifacio’s life and death made me wonder what kind of living – not dead – heroes do we [...]
By Raïssa Robles I was debating with myself whether to write about this. Sleep on it and wait for more developments, my hubby Alan who is my de facto editor, advised me. And so I did. I’m glad I did. Because Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. did a most unusual thing this Saturday. He agreed to be interviewed by [...]
HALO-HALO: My Gossip Column By Raïssa Robles I got this text from a pissed-off theater-goer: 2 senators in full view of entire theater escorted to seats in the middle of a performance of Lisa Macuja farewell performance at aliw theater Friday oct 7. My curiosity was instantly piqued because not many Filipinos go out of their way to watch [...]
By Raïssa Robles Now it can be told. Pia and Steeve flew to Europe together to scout out a wedding venue and they beheld a fantastic one in Italy. The wedding was all set for May next year. However, when we last saw them sometime in late July or August, I think, Pia said that they would have to [...]
Is HK politics imitating the TV sitcom ”The Good Wife”? By Raïssa Robles Politicians never want to discuss their love life amid rumors of a juicy sex scandal. Yesterday, the man strongly tipped to be Hong Kong’s next Chief Executive to succeed Donald Tsang admitted he had “strayed”, three days after describing rumors about his affair with a [...]
Let’s not forget what happened when he was the anti-illegal drugs champ By Raïssa Robles I’m watching with fascination as Senator Vicente Sotto III reinvents himself – this time as THE opponent of women’s reproductive health rights. Still, let’s not forget how he used another hot button issue to propel himself to political prominence, so much so that [...]
Apparently, contestants for Miss USA 2011 were asked: Should math be taught in schools? Here’s how they answered. I’d like to thank my very good friend Rita for e-mailing this video to me. Rita was sent the video by her friend Leo. UPDATE: It has been brought to my attention that the video below was a parody of questions [...]
By Raïssa Robles In one brief hour while having coffee with presidential candidate Benigno Aquino III and his running mate Mar Roxas, American envoy to Manila Kristie Kenney saw PNoy in a dramatically different light. A recently leaked cable from the US embassy in Manila by Wikileaks showed that Kenney wrote afterward about her coffee moment with PNoy at [...]
The best way to honor a hero is to let him speak to you through what he said, did and wrote. I am reprinting below what the slain Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr. wrote in 1968 – four years before his political arch rival President Ferdinand Marcos placed the Philippines under repressive rule and Ninoy Aquino in jail – [...]
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 [...]
When our dear friend Pia toured Europe with her Eat Bulaga show co-hosts, her fiancé Steeve quietly joined her there to gawk at Rome’s ancient monuments. I will post some photos later. Meanwhile, here’s their latest pic when they joined us for a quick and quiet dinner Thursday night! It was a much-needed, welcome break for Alan and me [...]