Instead of hiding behind the default defense of ‘pulitika lang ’yan’ [it’s just politics], Senator Grace Poe has chosen to meet her accusers and the … - Francis Escudero

True or not, this man who is married to the Star for All Seasons will remain an all-weather friend to me, and to most of us.

The agreement signed by the GRP and the MILF did NOT CHANGE our laws. Terrorists are still terrorists. Law enforcement operations are still law enforcement operations. It is still illegal to shoot a policeman especially if he is unarmed. Nothing has changed, in so far as our laws are concerned. On Mr. Iqbal's comments, I think it is part of their hard ball. They have been calling the shots from day one and our negotiators probably have been infected by Stockholm Syndrome taking the side of the MILF, instead of our side. From my point of view, both the OPAPP and the GRP and the MILF should WIN THE TRUST OF THE PEOPLE first before winning the trust of each other. If they do not have the trust of the majority of Filipinos, any agreement they sign will simply be unacceptable.

I believe that it behooves me to step down at this juncture to ensure that deliberations on the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) — considered the single most important piece of legislation passed by Congress each year — are untainted by suspicions or perceptions of partisan politics. It is, Mr. President, what propriety requires; it is, I believe, what our people expect from us all: delicadeza.