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 Poquiz underscored that a military pension is not a privilege that can be withdrawn at will, but an earned and vested right.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

Abdusakur Mahail Tan and His Principled Leadership in 'Bangsa Sug'

In Philippine politics, extended tenure in public office naturally invites scrutiny. The question is never whether longevity matters, but what it reveals about the relationship between leaders and those they serve. In the province of Sulu we call Bangsa Sug, Abdusakur "Sakur" Mahail Tan has held public trust across decades, a tenure that reflects sustained electoral confidence in a province where such trust is neither easily granted nor lightly maintained.

An Enduring Legacy 

The House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms recently took a decisive step by endorsing a proposal to hold the first regular Bangsamoro parliamentary election on the second Monday of September 2026. While the measure has yet to pass the Senate and therefore remains far from becoming law, the hearing itself deserves public attention. It confronts a long-delayed democratic exercise and raises fundamental questions about governance, legality, and political stability in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Setting the First Bangsamoro Election: Law, Legitimacy, and Lasting Peace

Iranian state media and several international reports confirm that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in joint U.S.–Israeli strikes on February 28, 2026, along with senior officials and members of his family. Tehran immediately declared national mourning and vowed decisive retaliation, while leaders around the world urged restraint.

Death of Khamenei, Global Reactions, and the Deepening Geopolitical Fault Lines

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.

Echoes of the South

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An Enduring Legacy

Death of Khamenei, Global Reactions, and the Deepening Geopolitical Fault Lines

Setting the First Bangsamoro Election: Law, Legitimacy, and Lasting Peace

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

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

Pension, principle, and the price of dissent

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

The Stakes for the Bangsamoro People and What Lies Ahead

The Legal Tangle of the Bangsamoro Autonomy Acts

A Deadlock on the BARMM Elections

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