OPINION

FIRING LINE: Distraction and shifting alliances By Robert B. Roque Jr. | June 18, 2026 The events of last Tuesday at an event venue on EDSA in Mandaluyong were an absolute circus — shameful! What exactly was Mike Defensor doing? Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian killed that stunt with a simple statement saying Defensor is…

FIRING LINE: PhilHealth: A heartless failure  By Robert B. Roque Jr. | June 16, 2026 There are tragedies that no amount of commentary can improve upon. This one hits hard. Over the years, Firing Line has repeatedly taken the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and even the Department of Health to task over corruption, misplaced…

FIRING LINE: Joel, hear the warning shot By Robert B. Roque Jr. | June 11, 2026 First, let us establish that the photograph circulating on social media First, let us establish that the photograph circulating on social media showing Sen. Joel Villanueva cozying up with Senators Win Gatchalian and Migz Zubiri is an old one. Having…

FIRING LINE: Rainy days and flood days By Robert B. Roque Jr. | June 9, 2026 School Year 2026-2027 is in, and so is the rainy season in the country. And for all its worth, the Marcos Junior administration deserves credit for at least being honest about one thing: it is not making a promise…

FIRING LINE: Jinggoy who cried wolf By Robert B. Roque Jr. | June 4, 2026 The title says it all. For the third time in his political life, Senator Jinggoy Estrada is telling the public he is innocent. The first time was during the jueteng scandal in 2001 that accompanied the downfall of his father,…

FIRING LINE: No-el and the sibling feud  By Robert B. Roque Jr. | June 2, 2026 Using her standing in the Senate, presidential sister Imee Marcos held a political grenade at her brother. She hurls more of a wild accusation than a warning on a supposed “No-el” or no-election scenario in 2028. The thing is…

FIRING LINE: The loss of delicadeza  By Robert B. Roque Jr. | May 26, 2026 While the Senate as we know it today invokes “tradition” on many occasions to determine how to proceed with the most challenging issues it is confronted with, the public can’t help but doubt whether tradition still holds its purpose in…