(Position paper on Senate Bill 1587 and House Bill No. 7236 titled “No to revocation of settler communities’ certification! No to disenfranchisemnt of reserved seats for marginalized sectors. Fulfill the promise of inclusive BARMM” read by lawyer Mary Ann Arnado, former Member of
QUEZON CITY (MindaNews / 08 February) — As I sit in Speaker Nograles Hall to attend the Congressional Committee Hearing on HB 7236 as a resource speaker, waiting for my name to be called, the silence is often deceptive. In
ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews / 02 Feb) — Junjun wakes up each morning to the sound of his fellow Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) gathering for the daily meeting. In the past, mornings meant nothing more than another day of confinement,
LIBONA, Bukidnon (MindaNews / 02 February) — To shed light on what is happening in Dupax (Nueva Vizcaya) today, it is helpful to look back at the multisectoral ecological struggle, which emerged in 1999 in Wao — a municipality that
One by one, those associated with the Dutertes are falling like dominoes as waylaid by corruption charges and other crimes. Former Senator Bong Revilla was the first to be handcuffed for a ghost project in Bulacan. Incumbent Senators Joel Vilanueva
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 1 February) – “Time has changed.” If I had a peso for every time I heard that line whenever modesty is discussed, perhaps I could fund a community library by now. The phrase always comes out
LIBONA, Bukidnon (MindaNews / 30 January) — For over a decade, I have closely witnessed the systemic oppression within the agricultural sectors of Manolo Fortich and Libona in the poverty-stricken Province of Bukidnon. The expansion of Transnational Corporations (TNCs) which seize vast lands for profitable mono-crop
The proposed anti-dynasty bill (HB 6771 and SB 35) has once again ignited public debate on political reform. Its objective, which is to prevent a single family or clan from monopolizing public office, is both understandable and well-intentioned. Political dynasties,
Acquitted of a pork barrel scandal before, with fellow senator Jinggoy Estrada, the unrepentant and unscathed Bong Revilla figured again in an easy and quick money scheme to fill his pockets. This time, it’s on a P92.8 million ghost flood
(Tribute to Aida Rivera Ford by Jhoanna Lynn B. Cruz, UP Mindanao’s Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, on what would have been Ford’s 100th birthday on 22 January 2026. Cruz was in UP Diliman on that day
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 24 January) – Make no mistake about it. The downing of Starlink would only delay but never deter the US attack on Iran. That, in itself, is not strategy. It is anthropology. It is the inherent
The Feast of the Señor Santo Niño was celebrated this past Sunday, January 19, and as I reflect on this sacred day and the solemn foot procession that preceded it on Saturday, I find myself contemplating the twin devotions that
LIBONA, Bukidnon (MindaNews / 21 January) — I participated in a multi-sectoral gathering held at the University of Santo Tomas on January 14–16, 2026. This Church-led event, facilitated by Bukal ng Tipan, convened representatives from civil society, people’s organizations, academia, labor, and
A rumor of an ICC arrest sent jitters to Senator Bato dela Rosa, forcing him to run and go into hiding. He has not reported to the Senate since November 11, 2025, but got, nonetheless, his pay and perks. His
MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 12 January) – By now, retired Air Force General Romeo V. Poquiz must have realized that calling for a withdrawal of support from the administration isn’t enough to instigate a coup. History shows that successful coups
(MindaNews / 08 January) — When the Supreme Court released the 2025 Bar Examination results yesterday, revealing that 5,594 out of 11,425 examinees had passed, the headlines naturally focused on the improved 48.98% passing rate. But here in Mindanao, we
PBBM assured the public that many of those involved in the flood control scam would spend their Christmas in jail. But Christmas 2025 is past and gone, yet we have not heard of anyone moaning or singing sorrowful carols in
MindaNews / 5 January — 2025 started with the closing of BookSale stores in Davao, leaving book readers brokenhearted. It ended with another bittersweet moment as the homegrown Victoria Plaza, bidding goodbye to Dabawenyos after 32 years. Nostalgia poured over
QUEZON CITY (MindaNews / 2 January) – As we step into 2026, I find myself thinking about peace, not as an abstract ideal, but as something tangible we might actually build together this year. This article is about hope tempered
Jan 1, Thurs, Octave of Christmas, Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. Liturgy of the Word — Nm. 6:22-27; Ps. 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8; Gal. 4:4-7; Lk. 2:16-21. Today is World Day of Peace — Pope Leo XIV has
MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 31 December) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made a huge political gamble by initiating the move that led to the exposé of graft-tainted flood control projects involving billions of taxpayers’ money. Subsequent investigations pointed to the
MAKATI CITY (MindaNews / 30 December) – I write this not merely as a reader of history, but as a Bwayan’n—someone whose memory is tethered to a river older than the republic, older than the textbooks that taught us to look north
TANDAG, Surigao del Sur (MindaNews / 30 December) — After a gruelling experience of the misa de gallo and the opening Christmas season, I went on an adventure trip with my family into an unknown route from Surigao del Sur to Bukidnon
LIBONA, Bukidnon (MindaNews / 28 December) — We frequently refer to ecological “crises” — using the plural form — to acknowledge the multiple, interconnected challenges we face. A key contributor to these crises is our “throw away culture,” which has
QUEZON CITY (MindaNews / 28 December) — From Mindanao, the failure of Philippine tourism is even more glaring. This island holds some of the country’s richest tourism assets: long coastlines, living indigenous cultures, biodiversity hotspots, faith traditions, and rivers and
MindaNews / 27 December – It’s been a notable year for filmmaker and writer Gutierrez ‘Teng’ Mangansakan II as his two recent books gained recognition in the literary community. The anthology Panumtuman: Anthology of 21st Century Bangsamoro Literature is a
NAAWAN, Misamis Oriental (MindaNews / 27 December) — There is no way to escape accountability for anyone who has done something that endangers the lives of people. The demand for accountability may come from within, from either our justice system
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 25 December) — “Iskolar ng bayan, ngayon ay lumalaban!” There’s a certain rhythm that pulses through the streets during mobilization rallies. Somewhere where the chants rise like waves, where the placards sway like an ocean of conviction,
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 25 December) — If they desire to keep you, they could hold you captive for years, forcing you to live by their rules or you’ll never find your way out alive. These were the thoughts running
TANDAG, Surigao del Sur (MindaNews / 25 December) — Why is Christmas predominantly colored red? Perhaps, for commercial centers, red attracts the eyes and the attention of the potential buyers. It could also be the color of joy that best
MAKATI CITY (MindaNews / 23 December) – In Philippine politics, words do not merely describe reality. They perform it. That is why, in our social media feeds, the title “political analyst” enjoys a privileged seat, which is usually higher than
QUEZON CITY (MindaNews / 23 December) — Once again, the bicameral conference committee has produced a national budget that leaves Mindanao at the margins. The 2026 General Appropriations Act repeats a familiar pattern: selective increases alongside deep structural inequities. While
MindaNews / 20 December — Tatay Digong started the year as the comeback mayor of his beloved Davao.Ended the year as mayor of selda ICC and mayor nga karton. Baste DuterteStarted to talk and act like Tatay. Ended missing-in-action from a
QUEZON CITY (MindaNews / 19 Dec) — Christmas is a season associated with mercy, reunion, and hope. Yet in The Hague this year, the season unfolds within the cold clarity of international criminal law. The International Criminal Court Appeals Chamber
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 18 December) — My mother turned 80 years old on November 5, 2025, entitling her to a cash gift of P10,000, in accordance with Republic Act 11982 or the Expanded Centenarian Act of 2024. The law
MAKATI CITY (MindaNews / 16 December) – Every few years, someone declares—often with alarm—that “wala na ang values ng kabataan.” As if morality were a wooden ship docked somewhere in the past, now stripped plank by plank by modernity, social
QUEZON CITY (MindaNews / 14 December) — The outcome of COP 30 in Belém marked a decisive shift toward centering justice and human rights in global climate action, a direction long demanded by frontline communities. Negotiators emphasized that emissions targets
MindaNews / 13 December – When news broke out that Cebu reggae-dub musician Budoy Marabiles died on December 4, I always thought he would have lived forever like the sigbin. He is going to live forever. His songs, his version
NAAWAN, Misamis Oriental (MindaNews / 13 December) – In one bold stroke, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. transcended the political divides and upended the country’s political landscape by directing Congress to prioritize four landmark bills: the Anti-dynasty bill, the Independent People’s
MAKATI CITY (MindaNews / 10 December) — December 10 again. International Human Rights Day. And again, I find myself asking: Whose rights are we really remembering today? While the world posts ready-made templates about “dignity” and “freedom,” my mind drifts,
MAKATI CITY (MindaNews / 9 December) – December 9 quietly passes every year as the International Day against Corruption. It is a date rooted in the universal approval when the United Nations Convention Against Corruption was signed on 31 October 2003.
NAAWAN, Misamis Oriental (MindaNews / 7 December) — Flood is the making of nature. From the skies, the dark clouds drop mighty rain bombs on forests, hills, and plains beyond the capacity of water channels to accommodate. This results in
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 6 December) — The arrest and continued detention of former President Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has once again divided the Philippines, heightened by the recent denial of the appeal for interim release
QUEZON CITY (MindaNews / 03 December) — Let me begin with a clear principle. I oppose any military junta, any civilian power grab, and any unconstitutional attempt to change our political system. The Philippines must never return to authoritarian shortcuts
JOLO, Sulu (MindaNews / 30 November) — On November 24, 2025, an aged Bangsamoro Army mujahideen quietly passed away in the obscurity of an undisclosed village in Sulu. He was known to many in the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)
QUEZON CITY (MindaNews / 30 November) — The First Sunday of Advent begins with a summons. In the Gospel, Jesus urges his followers to stay awake and be ready, for no one knows the hour when the Lord will come.
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 30 November) — Mindanao occupies a pivotal position within the Brunei–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP–EAGA), positioning it as a prospective regional center for agribusiness, halal products, blue economy sectors, tourism, digital services, and renewable energy. Despite
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 28 November) – If there is anything I have learned from years of sitting in circles (whether academic, dialogue, or sometimes no-words spoken but circles still gathered under mango trees) it is this: stories are the
QUEZON CITY (MindaNews / 28 Nov) — In the ongoing corruption crisis, the worst the Philippines has seen, the legal system’s initial response to public outrage is as always dramatic. We see the rapid creation of special panels, the filing of
(Opening message of Mucha-Shim L. Quiling, representative of the NCCA-NCLA Executive Council Western Mindanao and Sulu Archipelago at the opening of Tahik Anugpat: 1st Sulu National Literary Conference held in Sulu at the Notre Dame of Jolo College last week). ALHAMDULILLAH!
