THE Philippine Senate, the Upper House of the Philippine Congress, traces its origins to the Philippine Legislature created by the Jones Law and operative from 1916 to 1934. Since 1916, the Philippine legislature has been reconfigured thrice, first under the Commonwealth government, then in the post-war Congress, and after the democratic transition in 1986.

MANY of us are deceived into believing that the evil forces of Satan are using ineffective and obsolete promotional gimmicks to win souls for Satan. Many of us have been brainwashed since childhood to think that Satan is a harmless fellow dressed in a red or black suit with horns, a forked tail, and carrying a pitchfork with no power whatsoever to influence our lifestyles, our values, and our spiritual lives. Many of us are conditioned into thinking that Satan’s interest to lure people to his headquarters in hell is just a hobby and not an obsession. Nothing is farther from the truth.

SEPTUAGENARIAN bishops and a former vice president got dozes of liquid medication for what Malacañang calls "destabilization." This word is being bandied about so loosely it’s time we take a good look at it.

THE Philippines is so far free from avian flu, but this is no time to be complacent. The world’s health experts have issued dire warnings about a bird flu pandemic anytime soon and many of the rich and advanced countries are now seriously making preparations to both prevent and cope with the imminent catastrophe.

CONTINUING political intrigues, coffee shop speculations, media reports, and texted rumors to the effect that martial law will soon be imposed by the Government or that a coup attempt by anti-Arroyo forces will succeed are all B...S.... They are just that – cow dung. These favorite themes of political brokers and opinion manipulators are clearly intended to create new instabilities in an already muddled situation in the remote hope that, somehow, a convergence of negative factors will bring down the Arroyo government. This counter-productive, no-win game has been going on since Day-1 of the Arroyo administration almost without let-up. The already polluted political atmosphere is being further poisoned by the insistence of "reliable sources" to float alleged plans of Malacañang to impose martial law and the equally vehement denials of the Presidential Spokesman against such dire happenings. Aren’t our people anymore entitled to a more civilized discourse and reporting on current events?

LAST Thursday, a successful Chinese businessman told me how fortunate we Filipinos are. "People in China are progressing by leaps and bounds,’’ he said, "but they do not enjoy the freedom that Filipinos have.’’ Ah, freedom, I muttered to myself: "We are so free, that’s why we are so lost.’’

"Back and side go bare, go bare,

A HOLY man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like."

Despite a recent US Supreme Court decision that upheld a Ten Commandments plaque in Texas, Los Angeles County Counsel Raymond Fortner Jr. on Monday released an analysis arguing the decision would not bolster the case for returning the cross to the county seal.

THE life of a teacher does not begin on Monday morning and neither does it end on Friday afternoon. It goes beyond that. I am particularly referring to an elementary school teacher and I am one. Fortunately, however, I am a school principal and I really worked my way to that position. The climb was not actually easy but not painful either and the experience was simply great and rewarding.

THE Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech. They sent their disciples to Him, with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are a truthful Man and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And You are not concerned with anyone’s opinion, for You do not regard a person’s status. Tell us, then, what is Your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?" Knowing their malice, Jesus said, "Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the coin that pays the census tax." Then they handed Him the Roman coin. He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?" They replied, "Caesar’s." At that He said to them, "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."