2007

ABALOS, BENJAMIN The expendables. {Benjamin Abalos now faces the possibility of impeachment. How will that develop on the watch of his accuser’s father? Philippines Free Press 2007 October 6 8

ABALOS, BENJAMIN Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. Pulled down by scandal. {Rather than facing impeachment, the election chief resigns.} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 13 4

AGRARIAN REFORM Alvarez, Ramiro C. There’s till land to give. {The land reform program is likely to be extended.} Philippines Free Press 2007 March 31 26

AGRARIAN REFORM Mable, Jing A. Distributive justice. {Land reform improves lives on the farms, reason enough to allow the program to continue for another 10 years.} Philippines Free Press 2007 June 23 14

AKLAN AND ANTHONY ACEVEDO Arevalo, Ramon Roces. Beyong the beach and the carnival. {Anthony Acevedo draws up a blueprint for Aklan’s transition from an impoverished rich province to a developed and progressive spot in Asia.} Philippines Free Press 2007 March 24 16

ALAGAD; PARTY LIST The rule of law. {It must prevail over anything – ALAGAD.} Philippines Free Press 2007 May 5 14

ANG ATONG AND ESTRADA Ratting on the boss. {Charlie Ang admits bribing Estrada. Why, is he accused of doing that?} Philippines Free Press 2007 February 10 10

ANGARA, EDGARDO Barcelon, Rica. Angara fights for Senior Citizen’s Rights. Philippines Free Press 2007 April 21 16

ARROYO; DE VENECIAS Mommy’s getting mad. {President Arroyo continues to endure trouble from the De Venecias. How long before her patience snaps?} Philippines Free Press 2007 November 10 8

ARROYO TAPES Another face-off. {The Arroyo-tapes inquiry may be in need of legal help from the Supreme Court.} Philippines Free Press 2007 September 22 10

ARROYO TAPES Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. The grunge 2. {Vidal Doble resurfaces from obscurity, summoning the ghost of the Arroyo tapes.} Philippines Free Press 2007 September 1 12

ARROYO TAPES Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. Those tapes again. {It’s the Senate turn to handle the unresolved Arroyo tape scandal.} Philippines Free Press 2007 September 8 4

ASEAN Torre, Ricky S. A weekend at the talking club. {In this latest gathering, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations attempts to make a more conspicuous presence on the world stage.} Philippines Free Press 2007 January 27 4

ASEAN Torre, Ricky S. Far-reaching gathering. {The ASEAN’s foreign ministers meet to discuss a range of issues besides trade and security – including the sensitive issue of human rights.} Philippines Free Press 2007 August 11 4

BARANGAY ELECTION Alvarez, Ramiro C. Angry little voices. {Barangay election: the villages can force change.} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 20 10

BINAY, JEJOMAR Torre, Ricky S. How to lose an election. {An attempt to suspend Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay backfires. For this, he thanks his campaign manager, President Arroyo.} Philippines Free Press 2007 May 19 4

BIOFUELS Alvarez, Ramiro C. Take two for Biofuels. {Congress passes, but the president still has to sign, the biofuel bill. Why?} Philippines Free Press 2007 January 13 22

BIRD FLU Alvarez, Ramiro C. Preparing for the worst. {The Philippines takes precautions against bird flu. Can it keep the virus out?} Philippines Free Press 2007 February 17 22

BIRD FLU Alvarez, Ramiro C. We will not be spared. {The government protects poultry from bird flu, but not its people from a human influenza pandemic.} Philippines Free Press 2007 December 1 22
BLACK NAZARENE Quiapo celebrates feast of the Black Nazarene. Philippines Free Press 2007 January 13 15

BLACK NAZARE Torre, Ricky S. Where lie their hopes? {In this era of cupidity and poverty, the annual Feast of the Black Nazarene is no longer a simple demonstration of faith by an exhausted people.} Philippines Free Press 2007 January 20 4

BOMBING Molano, Rodolfo. Another peek into the Moro mindset (part one). {The arrest of the House bombers will not reduce the level and stratagem of violence currently being employed by both the dissidents and the armed forces.} Philippines Free Press 2007 December 1 6

BOMBING Torre, Ricky S. and Wendell Vigilia. The smoke lingers. {Who masterminded the bombing at the House? Was Wahab Akbar the target? These questions are nowhere near to getting answers.} Philippines Free Press 2007 December 1 4

BOMBING Torre, Ricky S. and Wendell Vigilia. Under attack. {The bombing at the House was an assault on Congress, no matter who the target was.} Philippines Free Press 2007 November 24 4


BROADBAND NETWORK Another white elephant. {Does the government have the competence to run a broadband network?} Philippines Free Press 2007 August 18 16

BROADBAND NETWORK Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. A broad deal. {The scandal involving a broadband projects rocks the government. Somebody expendable may have to be brought down.} Philippines Free Press 2007 September 15 4

BUDGET Social payback. {With a trillon-peso budget, the government will repay the taxpayers in kind.} Philippines Free Press 2007 April 7 14

BULACAN The Builder. {Bulacan’s 4th District goes under water whenever it rains hard. A civil engineer is coming to the rescue.} Philippines Free Press 2007 May 12 14

BURGOS, JONAS Against simple denial. {The supreme court approves the Philippine version of the writ of amparo.} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 6 14

BURGOS, JONAS Frustrating justice. {The military denies an abduction, and is getting away with it.} Philippines Free Press 2007 August 11 12

CAGAYAN Fabros Dann. One good fight. {In Cagayan’s 3rd District, Manuel Mamba and Krusada team up against jueteng.} Philippines Free Press 2007 April 14 14

CALAMITIES; DRY SPELL; FLOOD Alvarez, Ramiro C. Unsolvable problems. {Here’s why we always suffer from dry spells and floods.} Philippines Free Press 2007 September 1 8

CHILD-FRIENDLY WORLD Mable, Jing A. World Vision: a journey toward a child-friendly Philippines. Philippines Free Press 2007 October 27 27

CITYHOOD The battle for premiere city plume rages. Philippines Free Press 2007 April 28 17

CLIMATE CHANGE Alvarez, Ramiro C. Without continuity. {Short-lived programs do more harm than good to the environment.} Philippines Free Press 2007 November 17 18

COMELEC AND KAMPI A company union. {Would the Comelec really accredit Kampi as dominant minority party.} Philippines Free Press 2007 March 10 12

COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS Boys behave. {President Arroyo reappoints her officials amid a scandal involving extortion in the Commission of Appointments.} Philippines Free Press 2007 July 14 6

CONGRESS Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. Minority quandary. {Is the opposition in Congress in danger of extinction?} Philippines Free Press 2007 July 14 4

CONGRESS Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. Pricey job market. {Congress fills up its choice committees, according to the usual compromises.} Philippines Free Press 2007 August 18 4

CONGRESS Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. Turbulent times. {The 14th Congress has the same old leaders, but they are keeping their posts at great cost to their political survival.} Philippines Free Press 2007 August 4 16

CONGRESS Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. Whole lotta shaking going on. {Rep. Herminio Teves confirms an open secret in Congress citing an extortion attempt on his son.} Philippines Free Press 2007 July 7 6

CONSTITUTION Constitutional solution. {Assaulted by one scandal after another, President Arroyo revives the tired old case for revising the constitution.} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 27 10

CONSTITUTION Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. ‘The second wave’. {Can you repeat it again for the second time once more? Yes, the constitution is still under attack--- courtesy of President Arroyo.} Phiilippines Free Press 2007 January 6 4

CORRUPTION Alvarez, Ramiro C. What a shame. {The Philippines’ latest rating: most corrupt economy in Asia.} Philippines Free Press 2007 April 14 12

CYBER EDUCATION Alvarez, Ramiro C. Teaching via satellite. {Does teaching by television trump actual classroom instruction?} Philippines Free Press 2007 November 10 18

CYBER EDUCATION Too much too early. {The government is going ahead with the controversial cyber-education program.} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 27 18

DE VENECIA, JOSE Fast losing clout. {Does Jose de Venecia still have the numbers to stay as speaker of the House?} Philippines Free Press 2007 November 24 10

DE VENECIA, JOSE; ZTE CONTRACT Torre, Ricky S. and Wendell Vigilia. The volcano. {The speaker’s past is once again being raked. How long will he put up with this government?} Philippines Free Press 2007 December 15 10

DISASTERS AND POLITICS Torre, Ricky S. Disasters and debacles. {2006 was a year of terrible weather. It was also a time of gross human error and bad political judgment.} Philippines Free Press 2007 January 13 8

DISPUTE RESOLUTION Mother mediator. {Lawyer Rowena Daroy Morales talks about the real need for alternative methods of dispute resolution.} Philippines Free Press 2007 July 21 22

DRUG INDUSTRY Vigilia, Wendell. You don’t know your way out? {drug industry lobbyists spoil a special session of Congress.} Philippines Free Press 2007 March 3 12

DRY SPELL Alvarez, Ramiro C. Craving for rain. {Luzon frizzles in a seemingly interminable dry spell.} Philippines Free Press 2007 August 11 14

ECONOMY Alvarez, Ramiro C. Come down to earth. {Great economic gains? Talk about that in the slums.} Philippines Free Press 2007 March 31 14

ECONOMY It’s not the economy, stupid. {Filipinos are going hungry, but that is not why they are going to the polls in May.} Philippines Free Press 2007 February 3 4

ECONOMY Mable, Jing A. Beating the odds. {President Arroyo’s economic program is working.} Philippines Free Press 2007 May 19 12

ECONOMY Mable, Jing A. Something to crow about. {Whether you believe it or not, the economy is improving.} Philippines Free Press 2007 July 28 14

EDUCATION Alvarez, Ramiro C. Failed mind molders. (Wrong parenting and teaching are responsible for wayward children.} Philippines Free Press 2007 June 2 26

EDUCATION Fabros, Dann. Fixing the system. {Jesli Lapus tackles – and begins to tame – the educational critics.} Philippines Free Press 2007 September 8 14

EL NINO; DRY SPELL; WATER Praying for water. {Days of rains bring relief from the dry spell, but the threat of a drought remains until a full month of rain comes.} Philippines Free Press 2007 August 18 8

ELECTIONS Divided as usual. {What can spoil an opposition clean sweep of the polls but a third force?} Philippines Free Press 2007 February 3 8

ELECTIONS; CATHOLIC CHURCH Torre, Ricky S. The bishops’ move. {The Catholic Church takes on the exasperated (and exasperating) Commission on Elections.}
Philippines Free Press 2007 July 21 4

ELECTIONS Time to rock and roll. {The election season begins with the opposition having the upper hand and the administration the back of the hand.} Philippines Free Press 2007 January 27 10

ELECTIONS Torre, Ricky S. Grudge match. {Can the midterm elections be regarded as a referendum on the Arroyo administration? That depends on whether the President’s critic can put up a united front.} Philippines Free Press 2007 February 17 4

ELECTIONS Torre, Ricky S. A messy reckoning. {The balloting is over and the tension-filled count of the votes has begun. Can the true will of the electorate be determined amid the rampant election violence, the irregularities and the government’s machinery.} Philippines Free Press 2007 May 26 4

ELECTIONS Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. Stop and go. {Which factor will win the voters’ sympathy-the administration’s arsenal or the opposition’s handicap?} Philippines Free Press 2007 March 10 8

ELECTIONS Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. The dark side of the farce. {The senatorial race gets murkier with all that talk about “unity”, “reconciliation’ and the “third force”.} Philippines Free Press 2007 February 10 4

ELECTIONS Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. Running on empty. {With the coming midterm elections, the Arroyo administration promises to field strong candidates. But except for Virgilio Garcillano, the rest hardly qualify as a piece of work. Philippines Free Press 2007 January 13 12

ELECTIONS Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. Shifting fortunes. {The opposition still leads, but the administration shows signs of catching up. It’s still anything goes in this anarchic election season.} Philippines Free Press 2007 March 31 10

ELECTIONS Vigilia, Wendell. Mind-boggling rush. {Initiative plebiscite set next month. How is that possible?} Philippines Free Press 2007 January 20 8
Vigilia, Wendell.

ELECTIONS AND AUTOMATION Vigilia, Wendell. Against all odds. {Without automation, the Catholic Church takes the lead to ensure clean elections.} Philippines Free Press 2007 February 10 8

ELECTIONS; MAGUINDANAO Last stand. {Who between Pimentel and Zubiri will be proclaimed winner? The answer depends on the controversial votes in Maguindanao.} Philippines Free Press 2007 July 7 9
ELECTIONS; MAGUINDANAO The race continues. {Pimentel’s lead vanishes but he’s found ammo to blast the Maguindanao Express.} Philippines Free Press 2007 July 14 10

ELECTIONS; MAGUINDANAO Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. Is Mercury rising? {The controversial results from Maguindanao have promted election watchdogs to look out for the rest of Mindanao.} Philippines Free Press 2007 June 2 8

ENGLISH Taking English to court. {Is English instruction in schools injurious to Filipino culture and heritage?} Philippines Free Press 2007 May 12 10

ESTRADA, JOSEPH Going home soon. {Negotiations are going on for a presidential pardon for Joseph Estrada.} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 6 12

ESTRADA, JOSEPH It’s up to them. {Joseph Estrada tries to stop the seizure of his properties. Can his pardon be recalled?} Philippines Free Press 2007 December 1 14

ESTRADA, JOSEPH Retirement blues. {after winning the presidency, a conviction and a pardon, what else is left for Joseph Estrada to do?} Philippines Free Press 2007 November 17 8

ESTRADA, JOSEPH Still a tough customer. {Joseph Estrada is open to pardon-on his own terms.} Philippines Free Press 2007 September 29 10
ESTRADA, JOSEPH Torre, Ricky S. Decision and aftermath. {Joseph Estrada’s fate will be known soon. But no matter what it is, this case will linger on the political scene.} Philippines Free Press 2007 June 30 4

ESTRADA, JOSEPH Torre, Ricky S. Divide and rule. {Joseph Estrada may be a free man, but his pardon is better suited to president Arroyo’s objectives.} Philippines Free Press 2007 November 10

ESTRADA, JOSEPH Torre, Ricky S. Down but not out. {Although Joseph Estrada has been convicted of plunder, he is hardly finished as a political force.} Philippines Free Press 2007 September 22 4

EXPORTS Curse of the peso. {The peso gets stronger, bringing down the growth of Philippine exports.} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 27 16

EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS De Guzman, Guiller. Stopping the killers. {The Supreme Court leads the search for an end to extrajudicial killings.} Philippines Free Press 2007 July 28 4

FIRST WORLD ECONOMY Thinking big. {Four super projects could usher the Philippines into the First World.} Philippines Free Press 2007 June 2 14

FISCAL CRISIS De Guzman, Guiller. Back in the ICU. {The government’s fiscal situation is very serious.} Philippines Free Press 2007 July 14 16

GARCIALLANO AND ARROYO TAPES Vigilia, Wendell. What did you expect? {The man on the Arroyo tapes is cleared of perjury charges. His troubles are far from over.} Philippines Free Press 2007 January 6 8

GLOBAL WARMING Alvarez, Ramiro C. The heat goes on. {But the Philippines’ mitigation plan seems to be slowing down.} Philippines Free Press 2007 July 21 14

GLOBAL WARMING Needed: global action. {The Philippines and the world take first few steps to deal with global warming.} Philippines Free Press 2007 March 3 18

GLOBAL WARMING The greenhouse effect. {The Philippines will join an international effort to ease global warming.} Philippines Free Press 2007 February 17 12

GLORIETTA Look again. {Ayala land disputes the police theory that the Glorietta 2 explosion was accidental.} Philippines Free Press 2007 November 17 10

GSIS Fabros, Dann. Turning to diversification. {Already raking in profits, the GSIS is looking for more opportunities.} Philippines Free Press 2007 June 2 16

HUMAN RIGHTS A long way to go. {The writ of amparo may not be enough to end extralegal killings and disappearances.} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 13 10

HUMAN RIGHTS Carrot and stick. {The US Senate links military aid to Philippine action on extralegal killings and disappearances.} Philippines Free Press 2007 November 17 12

HUMAN RIGHTS Keep the public in the dark. {President Arroyo wants a law that would prohibit disclosure of military secrets.} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 20 4

HUNGER Alvarez, Ramiro C. Give nets, not fish. {Inept food programs fail to ease hunger in the Philippines.} Philippines Free Press 2007 May 5 12

HUNGER One-day relief. {Hungry Filipinos do not need charity. They need to be helped out of poverty.} Philippines Free Press 2007 April 7 12

IMPEACHMENT Vigilia, Wendell. Come, see the farce. {An impeachment against President Arroyo goes up in the House of chaos.} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 20 8

JPEPA Meeting the college boys. {Trade officials fail to sell a deal with Japan to the Senate.} Philippines Free Press 2007 September 29 14

JPEPA Saving the deal. {A side deal is in the works to save a proposed trade treaty with Japan from Senate rejection.} Philippines Free Press 2007 December 1 17


JPEPA Sorry, try again. {The senate will recommend renegotiation of an economic agreement with Japan.} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 20 12

JPEPA Unacceptable deal. {The Senates threatens to reject an economic agreement with Japan.} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 13 13

KAMPI; LAKAS Torre, Ricky S. and Wendell Vigilia. Friends in need. {President Arroyo and House Speaker de Venecia Jr. have patched up their differences. Oh really? Let’s see.} Philippines Free Press 2007 November 17 4

KOREANS De Jesus, J. They’re here. {Pockets of urban centers in the Philippines have become Korean enclaves. What’s going on?} Philippines Free Press 2007 August 4 24

LABOR Equal opportunity and equality at work. Philippines Free Press 2007 August 4 22

LAND REFORM Mable, Jing A. Harvest time. {The economy begins to feel the impact of agrarian reform.} Philippines Free Press 2007 July 7 16

LEADERHSIP CRISIS AND CHURCH Alvarez, Ramiro C. Righting a wrong. {The Catholic church steps in to help end the leadership crisis.} Philippines Free Press 2007 February 24 10

LIM, ALFREDO Serrano, Butch. Dirty Harry part 2. {Criminals get out of Manila. Alfredo Lim is coming back.} Philippines Free Press 2007 March 31 16

LIM, ALFREDO Torre, Ricky S. Hizzoner returns. {Alfredo Lim is once again mayor of Manila, and he has exciting plans for the grand old city.} Philippine Free Press 2007 October 20 14

MAKATI Torre, Ricky S. The executive. {Jejomar Binay of Makati wins a huge mandate to serve third final term. Anything can happen after that – including landing a job much higher than the mayoralty.} Philippines Free Press 2007 June 16 14

MAKATI AND BINAY Torre, Ricky S. The activist. {Lawyer-and plain citizen-Mar-Len Abigail Binay takes her participation in national issues a step further by throwing her hat in the congressional ring.} Philippines Free Press 2007 March 10 16

MANILA PEN; TRILLANES De Guzman, Guiller. Why it failed. {Filipinos put a military mutineer in the Senate to serve, not to topple President Arroyo from power.} Philippines Free Press 2007 December 15 7

MANILA PEN; TRILLANES Torre, Ricky S. The aftermath. {Antonio Trillanes IV is back behind bars and saddled with a new case. But the government continues to worr about this renegade senator.} Philippines Free Press 2007 December 15 4
MANILA Transition. Philippines Free Press 2007 June 30 18

MEAT INSPECTION Alvarez, Ramiro C. Is that meat safe? {A weak law is blamed for the proliferation of unsafe pork.} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 6 18

MELO COMMISSION AND HUMAN RIGHTS Don’t stop there. {The Melo Commission’s findings prove unsatisfactory. The President orders a wider investigation.} Philippines Free Press 2007 February 10 12

MIGRATION AND HEALTH SERVICE Alvarez, Ramiro C. Medical express. {The exodus of doctors and nurses hobbles the Philippine health service.} Philippines Free Press 2007 February 3 12

MIGRATION AND LABOR Don’t call them heroes. {Migrants care nothing about the economy. They just want to survive.} Philippines Free Press 2007 January 13 16

MILITARY KILLERS. {A UN investigator refines his report and now blames the killings and disappearances in the Philippines on the armed forces.} Philippines Free Press 2007 December 15 12
MINDANAO A social problem. {Military action is not the solution to the conflict in the South.} Philippines Free Press 2007 September 15 12

MINDANAO Torre, Ricky S. War games. {In response to the July 10 ambush of Marines encroaching into an MILF-controlled area, the military is now going after the Abu Sayyaf. That’s the official line.} Philippines Free Press 2007 September 1 4

NATIONAL DEFENSE Fabros, Dann. Defense for development. {This government and the military team up to bring peace and progress to the countryside.} Philippines Free Press 2007 June 9 14

NURSES All’s not lost yet. {Two persistent groups will try to get the US visa hold on June 2006 nurse lifted.} Philippines Free Press 2007 March 10 6

NURSES Broken American dreams. {The United States shuts out Filipino nurses in compromised board exam.} Philippines Free Press 2007 March 3 14

OFWS (JAPAN) De Jesus, J. The lady Nurmini and the standing men. {OFW stories out of Japan show how the Filipino family morphs to keep in step with these challenging times.} Philippines Free Press 2007 September 29 22

OIL PRICE Late action, as usual. {The government scrambles to avert a crisis as world oil prices pierce the roof.} Philippines Free Press 2007 November 17 14

OIL PRICE Pump control. {Would the threat of an antitrust investigation make the oil companies temper price increases?} Philippines Free Press 2007 December 1 16

OPPOSITION Local failure. {The opposition fails to build local strength and misses out on increased House power.} Philippines Free Press 2007 May 26 10
PALAWAN Serrano, Butch. The last frontier. {Gov. Joel Reyes sees Palawan as the next big thing in the Philippines’ economic development.} Philippines Free Press 2007 March 17 14

PANLILIO, EDDIE Glory be to God. {A Catholic priest is elected governor of President Arroyo’s home province.} Philippines Free Press 2007 June 2 4

PANLILIO, EDDIE Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. Buying loyalty. {A strategy to keep President Arroyo out trouble explodes into a new scandal for Malacanang.} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 27 4

PANLILIO, EDDIE Torre, Ricky S. and Wendell Vigilia. Turning the tables. {Governor Panlilio is charged in the Palace payouts scandal. The case for the president’s impeachment is closed. Ain’t life grand?}. Philippines Free Press 2007 November 24 8

PARTY-LIST GROUPS This is not a party. {An attempt to misuse the party-list system to save President Arroyo appears to be failing.} Philippines Free Press 2007 May 26 12
PASIG CITY No substitute for performance. {Pasig Councilor Robert Eusebio has learned well from his father. Now his sights are fixed on City hall.} Philippines Free Press 2007 January 6 14

PEACE (MINDANAO) Rosauro, Ryan. Giving peace a chance. {Investigators and mediators work furiously to avert war.} Philippines Free Press 2007 August 11 6

PEREZ, HERNANDO Is the charge right? {The opposition says Hernando Perez should not take the fall for others.} Philippines Free Press 2007 January 20 12

PEREZ, HERNANDO This thing could hit the fan. {The Perez extortion case threatens to blow into a wider scandal.} Philippines Free Press 2007 January 27 14

POLITICAL KILLINGS Court of last resort. {The Supreme Court will use its new power to stop the political killings.} Philippines Free Press 2007 July 7 12

POLITICAL KILLINGS Disaster area. {Demands to end political killings hiund President Arroyo in the South Pacific.} Philippines Free Press 2007 June 9 10

POLITICAL KILLINGS Seeing red. {A US inquiry may not stop but inspire more political killings in the Philippines.} Philippines Free Press 2007 March 31 4

POLITICAL KILLINGS She’s in a bind. {President Arroyo can stop the political killings-if she wants to.} Philippines Free Press 2007 March 10 4

POLITICAL KILLINGS Standing up to the world. {What would it take to stop rthe political killings in the Philippines?} Philippines Free Press 2007 April 14 6

POLITICAL KILLINGS Still unmoved. {An international people’s tribunal finds the Arroyo administration responsible for political killings in the Philippines.} Philippines Free Press 2007 April 7 4

POLITICAL KILLINGS; UN Pretending to be blind. {A UN investigator blames the political killings in the Philippines on the military.} Philippines Free Press 2007 March 3 17

POLITICAL KILLINGS; UN; EU Look beyond the cover-up. {The UN, EU investigations into the political killings in the Philippines begin.} Philippines Free Press 2007 February 24 14

POPULATION Alvarez, Ramiro C. Close to bursting. {Rising population foils the Philippines’ efforts to reduce poverty.} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 13 16

POPULATION Right to choose. {Women’s group are suing Lito Atienza for banning contraceptives in Manila.} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 13 14

QUEZON CITY AND HERBERT BAUTISTA Arevalo, Ramon Roces. The presiding officer. {Quezon City Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista matures as a legislator at the helm of the city council.} Philippines Free Press 2007 January 27 16

RAMON MAGSAYSAY AWARDS Magnificent seven. {Their moral courage and impassioned insistence on making the societies they serve better, kinder and more equitable offer inspiring examples of faith, persistence and success for all.} Philippines Free Press 2007 September 1 16

RELIGION De Guzman, Guiller. The lost tomb. {Another swipe at the Resurrection fails to inspire a scholarly debate.} Philippines Free Press 2007 April 14 28

RIVER POLLUTION Industrial irresponsibility. {Two centuries of river pollution lands Bulacan an undesirable world record.} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 6 16

ROCO, SONIA Torre, Ricky S. Fighting spirit. {Sonia Roco enters the senatorial race, carrying her husband’s legacy of reforms.} Philippines Free Press 2007 March 3 4

SENATE Torre, Ricky S. A hostage crisis. {Senate President Manuel Villar find his survival imperiled by tricky little problem of deciding who among his diverse allies should head the blue – ribbon committee.} Philippines Free Press 2007 August 11 10

SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN That’s entertainment. {This early in the campaign, the administration outdistances the opposition in financial and star power.} Philippines Free Press 2007 March 3 9

SENATORIAL ELECTIONS Torre, Ricky S. The promise. {Does the justice secretary’s offer to his local allies serve as a policy statement on vote buying?} Philippines Free Press 2007 May 12 4

SENATORIAL ELECTIONS Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. Clearing up the picture. {By deciding to go separate ways, the Senate Wednesday Group has helped to shape the senatorial race into a two-sided contest.} Philippines Free Press 2007 February 24 4

SENATORIAL ELECTIONS Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. Internecine strife. {The opposition can forget the local races. Those are where Mrs. Arroyo’s two parties, Kampi and Lakas, are wielding their power- even against each other.} Philippines Free Press 2007 April 7 8

SENATORIAL ELECTIONS Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. Let us pay. {For all that lofty urging for prayer and vigilance by the church, it’s money that may yet determine the outcome of the midterm elections.} Philippines Free Press 2007 May 5 4


SENATORIAL ELECTIONS Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. Local wars. {President Arroyo goes on the offensive amid the rivalry between Lakas and Kampi in the provinces.} Philippines Free Press 2007 April 14 4

SENATORIAL ELECTIONS Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. Money for nothing. {Despite financial woes, opposition candidates are outdistancing their big-spending rivals in the senatorial race.} Philippines Free Press 2007 March 17 6

SMITH AND SUPREME COURT And up it goes. {The dispute over Daniel Smith’s custody reaches the Supreme Court.} Philippines Free Press 2007 January 20 14

SMITH AND US EMBASSY ‘Like thieves in the night’. {The government returns Daniel Smith to US custody, kicking up a legal, and possibly political, storm.} Philippines Free Press 2007 January 13 4

SMITH AND VFA The Pressure begins. {Philippine officials are rattled as the United States cancels war games.} Philippines Free Press 2007 January 6 9

SONA The nation is strong. {I stand in the way of no one’s ambition. I only ask that no one stand in the way of the people’s well-being and the nation’s progress.} Philippines Free Press 2007 August 4 10

SONA Torre, Ricky S. Last quarter. {President Arroyo’s state of the nation address begins with leaving the legacy of progressive Philippines and ends controversially on a political note.} Philippines Free Press 2007 August 4 4

SPEAKERSHIP Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. More than just the spoils. (Jose de Venecia’s challenger becomes an increasingly potent force in the speakership contest. Which of the two can better serve to maintain President Arroyo’s limited power at this point? Philippines Free Press 2007 June 23 4

SPEAKERSHIP Torre, Ricky and Wendell Vigilia. The phantom challenge. {There is more than meets the eye to the challenge to Jose de Venecia from his friends in the ruling coalition.} Philippines Free Press 2007 June 9 4

SUICIDE Suffering in silence. {The suicide of a 12 year-old girl shocks the nation and pours public anger on the government.} Philippines Free Press 2007 November 24 12

SUMILAO FARMERS; LAND REFORM Torre, Ricky S. March for land. {An exhausting protest action by displaced farmers fails to elicit a prompt response from the government.) Philippines Free Press 2007 December 22 6
SUPREME COURT AND REYNATO PUNO (CHIEF JUSTICE) Torre, Ricky S. The new sentinel. {New Chief Justice Reynato Puno takes the watch at a time of murky legal controversies.} Philippines Free Press 2007 February 3 14

TAX REVENUES De Guzman, Guiller. Missing the mark. {Falling tax revenues threaten the government’s lofty goals.} Philippines Free Press 2007 July 7 4

TEACHING Coscolluela, Celeste F. Why I quit teaching at the Chinese School for Girls. {In the middle of Saturday’s mock test, Wendy Sy stood up from her chair on the second row and said she needed to use the bathroom. She would never set foot in the classroom again. I’m quite certain she never went to to the bathroom either. That afternoon Manong Elvis, the groundskeeper, found her body lying in the bottom of the school pool.} Philippines Free Press 2007 December 1 33

TERRORISM BILL Not so terrifying anymore. {The Senate passes the terrorism bill minus the provisions that the state could abuse.} Philippines Free Press 2007 February 24 12

TERRORISM LAW Torre, Ricky S. and Wendel Vigilia. Acts of insecurity. {The terrorism law is now in effect. What happens next? Of all Mrs. Arroyo’s critics, the Left is keen to know.} Philippines Free Press 2007 July 21 8

TEXTBOOKS Azurin, Arnold M. Teaching beyond textbooks. {Overhauling a pervasive mindset that characterizes Philippine textbooks all depends on the political will of school administrators and the force of rational reflection.} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 27 20

TEXTBOOKS Torre, Ricky S. Borat textbooks. {Educator get angrie with phallic aD hitting bad textbook writtens by pompous PhDs. What the devils are that? That’s Philippine education for you-high five, sexytime!} Philippines Free Press 2007 July 28 10

TREASURERS AND ASSESSORS Growth for all. {Local treasurers and assessors take up the challenges of economic development.} Philippines Free Press 2007 February 10 14

TREASURY BONDS Targeted for long-term bondage. {The Finance Department plans retail treasury bonds for migrants.} Philippines Free Press 2007 November 17 16
VIOLENCE in the workplace. Philippines Free Press 2007 May 19 28

WAGE INCREASE Vigilia, Wendell. ‘Political stunt’. {The House approves a diluted wage increase. Can it buy votes?} Philippines Free Press 2007 January 6 12

WAGE INCREASE Vigilia, Wendell. ‘Trojan Horse’. {Employers reject a proposed P125 increase in the minimum wage.} Philippines Free Press 2007 January 20 18
WAGE INCREASE Were they just kidding?. {Beaten at its own game, the house retreats as the Senate approves the wage bill.} Philippines Free Press 2007 February 3 10

WAR Zialcita, Hilario L. Nine days of fear. {We felt the earth shake as a monster of a US Sherman tank approached. The tank crashed through the building’s wall and pointed its gun at us, then fired a round over our heads.} Philippines Free Press 2007 February 17 16
WORLD BANK LOANS latest shame. {After the ZTE and bribery scandals comes the World Bank’s unflattering report card.} Philippines Free Press 2007 December 1 12

YUCHENGCO Serrano, Butch. The sky is the limit. {The pinnacle of success proves not high enough for the Yuchengco Group of companies. It looks far beyond.} Philippines Free Press 2007 November 24 14

ZTE CONTRACT; DE VENECIA, JOSE III. Torre, Ricky S. and Wendell Vigilia. The whistleblower. {Jose de Venecia III’s disclosures force officials to talk about the government’s controversial broadband project.} Philippines Free Press 2007 September 29 4

ZTE CONTRACT Executive privilege. {What is so confidential about the ZTE deal that it trumps the public’s right to know?} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 27 12

ZTE CONTRACT He can’t talk much. {Benjamin Abalos has fallen. Who’s next? Nobody, if one would take the cue of Romulo Neri and other suddenly silent officials.} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 13 8

ZTE CONTRACT Really getting messy. {The Supreme Court stops the broadband contract. Manila and Beijing agree to clean up.} Philippines Free Press 2007 September 22 12

ZTE CONTRACT Torre, Ricky S. Fighting for survival. {Contradicted by two witnesses, election chief Benjamin Abalos gets roasted in the Senate for his role in the broadband mess.} Philippines Free Press 2007 October 6 4