FIRING LINE

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…

FIRING LINE: ‘No manhunt’ for Bato By Robert B. Roque Jr. | May 19, 2026 Senator Ronald dela Rosa should stop comforting himself with the phrase “no manhunt.” Because even if authorities refuse to call it that for now, all indications point to one reality: his world is getting smaller. Border controls are up. Leads…

FIRING LINE: Bato saved by Alan’s gavel By Robert B. Roque Jr. | May 14, 2026 While the circus that unfolded in the Senate last Monday appeared to be triggered by Senator Ronald dela Rosa’s frantic reappearance after six months in hiding, even the blind can see the larger game at play: wresting control of…

FIRING LINE: CHED guns for lower education By Robert B. Roque Jr. | May 12, 2026 If the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) had come up with a truly responsive and well-grounded reform of the General Education curriculum, then how come we’re now seeing major pushback from the academe? The mandate of CHED is not…

FIRING LINE: What the latest poll tells Senators By Robert B. Roque Jr. | May 7, 2026 Don’t look now, but if you’re rooting for Sara Duterte to win in 2028, the numbers are starting to tell a less comfortable story. Take the latest Pulse Asia survey, for example: the Vice President is still ahead,…

FIRING LINE: Another bridge bites the dust By Robert B. Roque Jr. | May 5, 2026 “London Bridge is falling down, falling down…” is a well-known nursery rhyme meant to entertain young children miming as they sing. Up in Northern Luzon, however, it seems that bridge falls are a recurring headline. Over the weekend, the…