FIRING LINE

FIRING LINE: Spy season By Robert B. Roque Jr.  l February 19, 2026 l Manila, Philippines Gong Xi Fa Cai! Welcome to the Chinese New Year of the (Trojan?) Horse! More often do I see journos visiting the inroads of China in their inviting posts on social media. Tourism diplomacy works both ways, of course,…

FIRING LINE: Accountability, not political comfort By Robert B. Roque Jr.  l February 17, 2026 l Manila, Philippines Senator Ping Lacson puts it out as plainly as can be, saying the proposed Senate Blue Ribbon Committee report has been reworded, but the substance remains the same — out of accommodation for the sentiments of colleagues…

FIRING LINE: Graduates must not be torn between 2 parents By Robert B. Roque Jr.  l February 12, 2026 l Manila, Philippines A former yaya of my kids has reached a proud moment — her only son is graduating from elementary school. However, at the recent PTA meeting, they were informed that only one guest…

FIRING LINE: OA in the Senate By Robert B. Roque Jr.  l February 10, 2026 l Manila, Philippines This past weekend, the infamous speech at the plenary given by Sen. Robinhood Padilla last January 26 has kept flashing across my social media walls. I hadn’t given that speech much attention two weeks ago since I…

FIRING LINE: A justified jam for MRT-7 By Robert B. Roque Jr.  | February 3, 2026 Starting February 1, motorists should prepare for a challenging yet unavoidable reality: partial and full nighttime closures along EDSA near North Avenue and West Avenue in Quezon City, as MRT-7 construction enters one of its most demanding stages. These…

FIRING LINE: Quan’s got the nerve By Robert B. Roque Jr.  | January 29, 2026 It took barely weeks for Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian’s successor, Jing Quan, to turn the dignity of his post into a diplomatic embarrassment. Appointed only last December, Jing has managed, in record time, to shed the basic restraint expected of…

FIRING LINE: Barzaga’s child play backfires By Robert B. Roque Jr. l January 22, 2026 Cavite 4th District Rep. Kiko Barzaga had thought he could step out of the bounds of Congress, spit-firing — albeit, meowing — bravado and accusations at billionaire Enrique Razon Jr. In the past few months, he has been earning likes,…

FIRING LINE: State witnesses my a*#! By Robert B. Roque, Jr. | January 20, 2026. I will try even just for a moment to set aside candor, temper my instinctive outrage, and muffle what would otherwise be a very raw reaction to this latest development in the flood-control saga. I will attempt, as journalists are…