Archives of articles for Gotcha, Sapol, and Sapol Radio
Gotcha
(English articles)
China at grave risk if it uses force
Communist China mouths two contradictory lies. One, that it never aggresses its neighbors. Two, that it wins in the end. History disproves both lies. In 1289 Yuan emperor Kublai Khan dispatched Meng Qi to the Malay capital of Java to demand homage. Rejecting foreign...
Thinking we’re dumb, Congress stole our PhilHealth’s P244 B
Politicos think we’re all dumb. So they rob us repeatedly. Their favorite target: our PhilHealth. Last August the executive proposed a measly P244 billion for our state health insurance in 2027. It was less than half of what the Universal Health Care Act (UHCA)...
Aside from water pail, BBM can do these vs El Niño
Don’t just buy a pail to collect rainwater before the very strong El Niño. Be sure to cover it against egg-laying mosquitos. Or sprinkle some detergent. That way you’ll avoid spreading deadly dengue in your community. Government will teach us to filter rainwater,...
It’s tough to make Sara accountable
The Ombudsman sacked last Thursday Bohol provincial board member Vierna Mae Boniel-Maglasang. Her offense: serious dishonesty. Twice in 2024 she gassed up two private cars using vouchers strictly for government vehicles. At an average gasoline price of P60 per liter...
Sign up to abolish political dynasties
Be part of history. Join the People’s Initiative to wipe out political dynasties. Simply sign the draft legislation on d1l.org. Convince others to sign up too. Dapat Isa Lang is the first ever citizens’ direct enactment. It needs signatures of three percent of voters...
With Chinese contributions, Sara possibly broke 3 laws
VP Sara Duterte’s acceptance of P150-million contribution from China in 2019 merits full investigation. It was an election year in which Sara ran and won as Davao city mayor. The Omnibus Election Code punishes soliciting and accepting foreign contributions with one to...
Sara calls trial ‘sarswela’ as hard evidence pile up
VP Sara Duterte called her impeachment trial a “sarswela” where proof of her hidden wealth mounted. House prosecutors rebuked her for her second belittling of the Senate impeachment court. “Sarswela” is Filipino for the zarzuela Saramusical theater of the late 1800s...
BSKE postponement: Evil scheme of political dynasts
Corruption starts at the barangay level. Examples: • Barangay officials extort P200,000 per telco cell site permit. The three telcos told then-president Duterte in July 2020 about the racket. That “fee” could be higher in a crookeder admin. One exposé was in San...
Veto sought vs election delay / No choice but to hike fares
Veto the postponement of barangay elections. That will spare Bongbong Marcos from presidential embarrassment. Forty-two-year-long election lawyer Romy Macalintal wrote BBM twice to uphold suffrage. Frequent arbitrary resetting of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan...
Expect Congress to defy SC, thwart anti-dynasty initiative
A hundred political dynasties have ruled for a century. They won’t readily give up lucrative family business. Of 254 district congressmen, 205 or 81 percent are dynasts. They’ve infiltrated partylists for the marginalized; 32 of 61 partylist reps come from dynasties....
Here’s how corruption begins at barangay, youth councils
It’s an open secret that our youths learn corruption at the Sangguniang Kabataan. That’s because of the bad influence of elders in barangay councils. Here’s the modus operandi: There’s a “kontratista” at the barangay council. He is usually a friend of the chairman and...
Bad enough to be jailed, worse to go blind there
Once again I give space to these reports by Jamaica Mae Digo of Tzu Chi Eye Clinic: Weeks ago medical director Dr. Bernardita Navarro received 20 persons deprived of liberty for consultations and performed cataract surgery on seven more. They came from the maximum-,...
Sapol
(Babasahing Pilipino)
Estado ng China ang may-ari sa katawan ng mga babae
Mga babae ang nag-aangat ng kalahati ng langit, ani Mao Zedong. Pagpugay ‘yon sa papel ng mga babae sa lipunan. Papuri rin sa mga babae sa kaniyang rebolusyong Komunista. Kaalyado niya si Soong Ching-ling, asawa ni Sun Yat-sen na nagpatalsik sa huling emperador at...
Arab, Muslim, at Middle East
Marami ang hindi alam ang kaibhan ng Arab world, Middle East, at Muslim world. At ang pagkalito sa kanila ay maaring pinakamalaking mali sa heograpiya ng mundo. Una, ang Arab world ay pagkakakilanlan ng kultura at wika. Ang Arab ay nagsasalita ng Arabic....
42,010 barangay linisin sana nina Boying, Jonvic Remulla
Lantad na sa madla na sa Sangguniang Kabataan pa lang ay natututo nang mangurakot ang mga nasa murang edad. Ito ay dahil sa masamang impluwensya ng nakatatandang opisyales mismo ng barangay. Ito ang modus operandi: ang bawat barangay council ay merong “kontratista”....
Lahat ng politiko madaya – Lito Lapid
Bihira lang magtanong si Senator-Judge Lito Lapid. Kaya taimtim ang madla nu’ng usisain niya si Atty. Karen Batu, officer-in-charge ng Ombudsman central records division. Paksa nila nu’ng Sept. 15 ang Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth ng mga opisyales...
Puksain ang katiwalian, ipampensiyon sa sundalo
Katiwalian, hindi pensiyon ng military/other uniformed personnel (MUPs), ang nagpapahirap sa bansa.
Mga mag-aaral nagpapaturo kina Rio, Lagman, Ysaac
Maagap ang engineering at technology students sa Europe at America.
Tatlo pang paggigiit ng pakinabang sa WPS
UNANIMOUS ang 24 senador sa resolusyon nu’ng Agosto 1. Kinondena nila ang pang-aagaw ng China sa West Philippine Sea.
Langis sa Recto Bank barenahin – now na
Hindi isusuko ni-isang pulgadang teritoryo ng Pilipinas.
Mga sakuna hindi natin kapalaran
HINDI kagagawan ng tao ang bagyo, lindol, tsunami o sabog ng bulkan. Pero desisyon niya kung masasalanta o maliligtas sa sakuna.
Kriminal ang pulis na ayaw magsuot ng body camera
ILANG beses ba kailangang pakiusapan, pilitin, paalalahanan, payuhan ang PNP: Magsuot ng body cameras sa lahat ng operasyon kontra-droga.
Pagsaboy ng abo ng mga yumao
Uso sa Japan ngayon ang pagkalat sa hangin ng abo ng yumao.
Pagbago, paglaganap ng wika
ANG German daw ay wika ng agham. Ang Italian daw ay wika ng romansa. Ang French ay wika ng diplomasya.
Sapol Radio
(AM radio)
Jan. 30, 2021 – Part 3 Boy Evangelista
Boy Evangelista, President of Volunteers Against Crime & Corruption: LTO’s Motor Vehicle Inspection System should be gov’t not private franchise
Jan. 30, 2021 – Part 2 Fr. Ranhilio Aquino
Fr. Ranhilio Aquino, Dean, San Beda Graduate School of Law: why push charter change now?
Jan. 30, 2021 – Part 1 Dr. Jay Batongbacal
Dr. Jay Batongbacal on new China Coast Guard Law to fire on ships in WPS
Jan. 23, 2021 – Part 4 DTI Sec. Ramon Lopez
DTI Sec. Ramon Lopez: Loosening restrictions allowing children from age 10 to go out, impact on economy
Jan. 23, 2021 – Part 3 Exec. Dir. Love Basillote
Phil. Business for Education PBEd Exec. Dir. LOVE BASILLOTE: CRISIS IN LEARNING & Some Supporting Stats
Jan. 23, 2021 – Part 2 EVP Gerard Seno
Gerard Seno, Natl EVP, Associated Labor Unions ALU-TUCP on how workers can be helped with spiralling prices
Jan. 23, 2021 – Part 1 Cong. Nikky Briones
Cong. Nikky Briones, VP, Pork Producers Federation of the Phils.: on pork supply with ASF, imports, technical smuggling
Jan. 16, 2021 – Part 2 DOT Sec. Bernadette Puyat
DOT Sec. BERNADETTE PUYAT on reopening of local tourism, coordination with LGUs, and precautions
Jan. 16, 2021 – Part 1 Sec. Gen. Renato Reyes
Sec. Gen. RENATO REYES, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) on Ombudsman dismissal of graft case in MRT-3 maintenance deal
Jan. 9, 2021 – Part 4 BPI VP Jonathan Paz
Mr. Jonathan Paz, VP, Bank of the Phil. Islands, Data Protection & Enterprise Information Security Officer on phishing and cyber security
Jan. 9, 2021 – Part 3 Dr. Paulyn Ubial
Dr. Paulyn Ubial, Head, Phil. Red Cross Biomolecular Lab on saliva for COVID-testing: benefits, accuracy, availability, status of FDA application
Jan. 9, 2021 – Part 2 Atty. Monico Jacob
STI Colleges President Atty. Monico Jacob on academic offerings, the need for face to face learning and STI preparedness
Jarius Bondoc is a multi-awarded journalist of 41 years. He writes two thrice-weekly columns, “Gotcha” for The Philippine Star and “Sapol” for Pilipino Star Ngayon. He also hosts a current affairs radio program, Sapol (Saturdays, 8-10 a.m.) on DWIZ 882-AM. Read more about him in this link.