The Philippine Daily Inquirer for today (05 November 2006) has the headline “Miriam vs. ‘Old Boys Club’”. The alleged old-boy network among Philippine jurists will deny Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago the opportunity to be the first woman Chief Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court. According to those in the know, the justices vying for the top post of CJ are set to close ranks and make their influence felt with the 9-member Judicial and Bar Council, which is set to submit a shortlist of three nominees to be appointed by the President.

It would be a pity if she were to be bypassed by the JBC. Even her detractors concede that she is eminently qualified for the position. Miriam is an expert in constitutional law and has a number of years under her belt in the judicial frontlines as a trial judge. Notwithstanding her clear bias for the present dispensation, she will bring passion, erudition and independent-thinking to a Supreme Court that has, except on a few rare occasions, been known for its mediocrity and muddled judgment.

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I was looking for some light reading on a lazy All Saint’s Day afternoon when I chanced upon my daughter’s copy of Neil Geiman’s novel, American Gods. Neil Geiman is famous for his graphic novels (better known as comic books or “komics” during an earlier and more innocent age), particularly the Sandman series . I had previously read an earlier Geiman novel (written with Terry Pratchett), Good Omens, which had its good parts but was unexceptional overall.

American Gods is an altogether different enchilada. I’m three-fourths through the book and have been bowled over by the characters and the plot. Its part thriller, part horror-story, part adventure/quest.

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