In true show-biz style, Dr. Vicky Belo has replaced long-time legal counsel Archie Fortun for a younger, more handsome lawyer, opposition spokesman Adel Tamano. Atty. Tamano is a Harvard alum and president of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. Read the rest of this entry »

Nicole has flown the coop and landed right where she wanted to be all along, it seems: in the heart of the good ol’ U.S. of A. Celebrity rape victim Nicole, the symbol of oppressed and victimized Filipina womanhood, as painted by her handlers, has fired her lawyer and left the country “for good“. And where else would she end up but in the homeland of her rapist, American Marine Daniel Smith. WTF !? Literally.

How’s that for an ironic twist ? She also expressed her desire to have “all other cases arising from or related” to the Subic rape case dropped because “there is no justice in the Philippines“. Huh ? She got a conviction didn’t she ? Smith was convicted in 2007 and sentenced to up to 40 years in prison. Read the rest of this entry »

Apart from the expected loss of jobs, drop in consumer spending, deflation and usual run-of-the-mill outcomes arising from the worldwide recession, there are other trends which may prove interesting to the idle observer. And their numbers are certainly growing everyday.

The hard times will of course impact fashion. Amando Doronila wrote a recent piece on the rise and fall of women’s hemlines which mirror the bleak global economic outlook. Expect a less flamboyant look for the coming year and for so long as the downturn continues. A more muted and conservative image would be in keeping with the difficulties we all face. Read the rest of this entry »