PERRYSCOPE

April 1, 2013
The collapse of the Soviet Empire in 1991 catapulted the United States as the only superpower on Earth. It ushered in a new age — Pax Americana — with the balance of power securely ensured by the United States encircling what is left of the once-mighty Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), the Russian Federation. Continue reading →

March 16, 2013
From the get-go of the Sabah incident, President Benigno “P-Noy” Aquino III appeared to be too accommodating to Malaysia. Recently, a news account reported that P-Noy was bent on extraditing Sultan Jamalul Kiram III and his Tausug followers to Malaysia despite the absence of an extradition treaty between the two countries. Continue reading →

March 1, 2013
To the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu, Sabah is only worth 5,300 ringgits (the equivalent of US$1,500), the annual rent the Sultanate has been receiving from the Federation of Malaysia since 1963 when the federation was created from a group of former British colonies including Sabah. But with Sabah’s large quantity of natural resources including oil and gas, the revenue generated is out of proportion to the rent paid to the Sultanate of Sulu. It’s cheap… obscenely cheap! Continue reading →

February 16, 2013
The recent scandal involving the “cash gifts” – or, bonuses – given by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile to 18 senators has brought to the forefront of debate the very existence of the Philippine Senate as a productive legislative body. Has it outlived its usefulness? But even its “usefulness” in the past is now being questioned! Continue reading →

January 16, 2013
The hunt for the fabled “Marcos Loot” is beginning to look like an Indiana Jones sequel. The only difference is that this one is for real with real life characters, tons of real gold bullions, and a 2,000-pound solid gold Buddha filled with real diamonds, emeralds, and other precious stones that would make the Queen of England look like a pauper. Continue reading →

January 1, 2013
When the National Rifle Association (NRA) broke their silence four days after the heinous massacre of 20 children and six adults, they issued a brief statement that they were prepared to offer “meaningful contributions” to help make sure this would never happen again, the details of which were to be given at a “major news conference” scheduled for last Friday, December 21 in Washington, DC. Continue reading →

December 16, 2012
There is something extraordinary about the Christmas season this year. There is peace where there were wars not too long ago. In the Philippines, a framework agreement for the establishment of a Bangsamoro homeland was signed between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Movement (MILF) rebels who have been warring for decades in the island of Mindanao. Continue reading →

December 1, 2012
Last November 23, 2012, President Benigno “P-Noy” Aquino III in a keynote address at the 9th Media Nation Summit, spoke about corruption in the media, which was the theme of the conference. He called on the media industry to develop “common standards” to prevent corruption, saying that the lack of which could lead to corruption. Continue reading →

November 16, 2012
Once again, the Filipino-American vote did not show on the radar screen during the recent presidential election. Yes, unlike in past presidential elections, the Fil-Am vote was virtually invisible this year. There were no organized national efforts from the Fil-Am Democrats and Republicans. And if there were, I didn’t see them. Continue reading →

November 1, 2012
The day after the second presidential debate last October 16, President Barack Obama told a cheering crowd of supporters that his rival, Mitt Romney, was suffering from a very rare condition. No, it’s not the avian “Big Bird” syndrome nor the Simian immunodeficiency virus. Nobody knows where it originated. Continue reading →