AN international organization of parliaments of sovereign states that was established in 1889, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has become the focal point for worldwide parliamentary dialogue for peace and co-operation among peoples, committed to the firm establishment of representative democracy. Throughout its existence, the IPU has worked to foster contacts, coordination, and exchanges of experience among parliamentarians of its member countries. It has also continued to consider questions of international interest and concern and expressed as a collective its views on such issues to bring about action by parliaments and parliamentarians. As defender and promoter of human rights, considered an essential factor of parliamentary democracy and development, the IPU also aims to contribute to better knowledge of the workings of representative institutions, aiding in the strengthening of such institutions.

HAVE you heard about the so-called "theory of everything" (TOE)? Simply, TOE claims that the laws of science are sufficient to explain the universe. But the flaw of this theory is that it has not resolved or answered one final question, namely: Who made the universe? Referring us back to a basic question on the existence of God.

POPE John Paul II’s condition has struck the faithful in two opposite ways.

THE growing number of parliamentarians joining the GOPAC cause is a manifestation of the growing abhorrence among concerned lawmakers to the failure of laws and regulations to combat corruption. As lawmakers, however, parliamentarians must have the moral standing to hold governments accountable, open, and transparent.

THE Senate version of the VAT bill is based on the Recto committee’s recommendations, which favors the retention of the current 10 percent VAT rate and the lifting of exemptions of most VAT-free sectors, industries, including power and petroleum products. The House version calls for the increase of the current 10 percent VAT rate to 12 percent and for the retention of most of the VAT-free status of various sectors and industries.

Complete freedom from stress is death.

He had had much experience of physicians, and said, "the only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d druther not."

(Message delivered on the occasion of the 108th Anniversary of the Tejeros Convention and the Armed Forces of the Philippines on March 22, 2005 at 10 a.m. at Rosario, Cavite)

WHAT Batangas Rep. Hermilando Mandanas has proposed lately seems to make a sense regarding our constitutional amendments. He proposes that the amendments could be effected without much delay and to avoid divisive debates on whether or not the amendments should be done through Constitutional Convention or through Constitutional Assembly, the amendments should just be effected by a simple act of legislation to be processed by securing the three-fourths vote of Congress. Rep. Mandanas argues that Congress has the constitutional mandate to amend the Constitution even without calling an election for a Constitutional Convention or constituting a Congress into a Constituent Assembly. There could be no divisive debate between convention and assembly. But the debate might be on the whole idea.

(Let me share this poignant true story e-mailed to me by Rick and Monica Valdes from Canada:)

ON the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. [Jesus] said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so I send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."