FIRING LINE

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…

FIRING LINE: Leviste’s power play lives in PowerPoint  By Robert B. Roque, Jr. | January 15, 2026. In recent years, the dream of a clean energy-reliant Philippines was an advocacy championed by a young businessman bravely venturing into solar power generation. He carried a good name and an even more commanding brandname, Solar Philippines. And just like…

FIRING LINE: Circus clowns  By Robert B. Roque, Jr. | January 8, 2026. “Where are the clowns, send in the clowns…” What a song of tragic comedy — of sorrow and darkness behind painted smiles. I used to hear it on the radio. Today, it plays out as news. On a totally unrelated matter, which…

FIRING LINE: Candor over theatrics  By Robert B. Roque, Jr. | January 6, 2026. If you caught the recent episode of “Storycon” on One News TV, you’d appreciate the candor of Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, and for that I’ll say this much: I’m more inclined to believe him. I won’t say Tiangco’s perfect, but compare…

FIRING LINE: Hope in 2026  By Robert B. Roque, Jr. | January 1, 2026. And so this is 2026… not quite the hopeful refrain of a new year unfolding, but a pause heavy with questions: what have we done, and what has been done to us? For many Filipinos, the turn of the calendar feels…