So it has finally happened. Zohran Mamdani—a Muslim, a democratic socialist, and the son of Ugandan immigrants—is now the first Muslim mayor of New York City. At 34, he is the youngest mayor in a century.

A Muslim Mayor, a Moral Victory, and a New Language of Justice in New York City

The emphatic response of retired Major General Romeo V. Poquiz to the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ warning that retirees who purportedly spread “fake news” or engage in “seditious acts” online could lose their pensions is far more than a personal protest — it is a firm defense of due process, statutory rights, and the dignity of honorable service. Poquiz underscored that a military pension is not a privilege that can be withdrawn at will, but an earned and vested right. He reminded the public that, under Philippine law, pensions may be revoked only after a final conviction for crimes involving moral turpitude or disloyalty to the state and never on the basis of mere allegation, opinion, or administrative discretion.

Pension, principle, and the price of dissent

Rumors are circulating in political circles that Minority Leader Allan Peter Cayetano may already have the numbers to mount a bid for the Senate presidency — a move that could unseat Senator Tito Sotto, who won the post only last week through a "coup". Are we staring down the prospect of another Senate “regodon”?

Eyes on the Gavel:The Senate on Trial from Sotto’s Coup to Cayetano’s Reckoning

The renewed cooperation between the Philippines and Japan represents more than a formal display of diplomatic goodwill. It signals a determined effort to confront the country’s long-standing infrastructure deficits through disciplined execution, technical rigor, and sustained institutional collaboration. At the center of this momentum are Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon and Senior Undersecretary Emil Kiram Sadain, whose leadership has become essential in advancing projects that demand specialized engineering and high-level oversight. Their work—highlighted during the 4th Technical and Business Cooperation on Road Tunnel Construction workshop—reflects a partnership with Japan that is not ceremonial, but deeply operational.

Japan’s Steady Hand in the Philippines’ Push for Modern Infrastructure

The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament has taken a bold step that the rest of the Philippines has avoided for nearly four decades: it passed an anti-political dynasty law, with implementing rules now in place. This is historic in a region where clan-based politics have been dominant for generations.

BARMM’s Anti-Dynasty Law: A Lesson for the Nation

The Senate coup was swift and ruthless. On September 8, 2025, Vicente “Tito” Sotto III ousted Francis “Chiz” Escudero as Senate President with fifteen votes. For pro-Duterte senators, the ambush was stunning. They expected Escudero to hold the gavel longer, but the numbers shifted overnight. What fell was not just a leadership post—it was the balance of power in the Senate, destabilized by scandal, shifting loyalties, and an investigation that dug deeper than expected.

Flood Scandal, Senate Power Shifts

The Stakes for the Bangsamoro People and What Lies Ahead

Legal Hurdles Versus the People’s Right to Vote

A Deadlock on the BARMM Elections

The Legal Tangle of the Bangsamoro Autonomy Acts

The political twilight of House Speaker Martin Romualdez has unfolded before the nation’s eyes. His years at the helm of the House of Representatives have ended, not because of factional maneuverings but because of accumulated sins that rendered him one of the most distrusted officials in the country. The scandal over flood-control funds—where billions were allegedly siphoned off in kickbacks—and the gathering storm expected to land in EDSA on Sunday are the breaking points of his resignation. His hold on power has crumbled as public sentiment hardens against him and the institution he embodied.

The Gathering Storm

Echoes of the South by Dr. Darwin T. Rasul III

Echoes of the South

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