Human Courtesies

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In this era of extreme polarization, it's refreshing and important to be reminded of basic human courtesies, even in the most polarizing conflict of all: war. In "Of Fallen Pilots and Military Courtesies," PF contributing writer Soliman M. Santos Jr. calls for "respectful gestures that demonstrate a basic human respect for life lost, regardless of allegiance," following the recent death of two young Philippine Air Force pilots from a plane crash while on a bombing mission on New People's Army (NPA) territory in Bukidnon. The Armed Forces naturally honored the two as heroes while the NPA denounced them as "fascist soldiers." Citing historical precedents in global military history, Santos asserts that "Fighting for your country or people does not mean fighting with hatred or renouncing honor." He knows whereof he speaks. Santos was once a student activist who became a human rights lawyer, a judge and author, who has seen and written about "both sides now."

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If you have recently been at JFK International Airport in New York, you must have seen the giant photographs of world-renowned Filipina documentary photographer, artist, and now an author Xyza Cruz Bacani. A former OFW in Hong Kong, Bacani has since emerged as a force in amplifying the voices of migrant women globally, through her art, her photographs and her writings. Our New York-based writer Elaine J.E. Degale profiles this extraordinary Filipina in "Xyza Cruz Bacani's Empathetic Lens."

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Following her four-year stint as Executive Chef of Seattle's famous, 75-year-old restaurant Canlis, Aisha Ibrahim is on the cusp of a new culinary direction, this time to promote Mindanaoan cuisine either in Los Angeles or New York. Born in Iligan City, she was six years old when her family immigrated to the US. Chef Aisha has since been recognized by the culinary world as one of the best chefs in the country. PF Correspondent Anthony Maddela follows her evolution in "What’s Next on Star Chef Aisha Ibrahim’s Plate?"

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PF Publisher Mona Lisa Yuchengco's list of notable Filipino Americans is on its 66th iteration and still going. It's a never-ending list because Filipino Americans are doing, accomplishing, making waves, and contributing to the American tapestry in extraordinary ways. 

Read It Again

The Enigmatic Poetess by Gemma Nemenzo

Pianist Cecile Licad Is a National Treasure by Pablo A. Tariman

The Bold Soprano by Gaby C. Gloria

[Video of the Week] 90-Year Old Filipino Historian Reveals a Secret within our Ancient Language

In The Know

UW lab technician detained at ICE Processing Center in Tacoma
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/uw-lab-technician-detained-ice

How This Former Palengke Vendor Rose to Become a Top Exec in McDonald's USA
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/esqa/myra-doria-mcdonalds-usa-

The First Woman to Earn a Degree from Harvard Law School is a Filipina
https://asianjournal.com/features/the-first-woman-to-earn-a-degree-from-harvard-law-school-is-a-filipina/

Marcos vetoes bill naming Pampanga as PH culinary capital
https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/food-drinks/marcos-vetoes-bill-pampanga-national-culinary-capital

Mighty Magulang: Salumpaa
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=793218979319868
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What a Week that Was

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What an incredibly eventful week -- and we're not (just) talking about the current state of the United States.

In the Philippines, what was previously unthinkable actually happened: the arrest of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte at the behest of the International Criminal Court (ICC) through the Interpol. Arriving from Hong Kong with his entourage, Duterte was immediately whisked to the VIP lounge of nearby Villamor Airbase after being read his Miranda rights. At the last hour of Tuesday, March 11, just 12 hours following his formal arrest, the former president was on a private jet to The Hague to await trial for crimes against humanity. The loud howl and hullaballoo (rallies, a deluge of fake news, threats) from his supporters are of no use. Duterte is no longer protected by Philippine law; it is only the ICC now that can determine his fate. 

To get a grip of the whys and implications of this monumental event, here's an excellent piece written by veteran journalist and Columbia University journalism professor Sheila Coronel ("On the Arrest of an Autocrat") which the Columbia Journalism Review gave PF full permission to repost.  

What's next for the Philippines? Go to our In The Know section below for the link to Walden Bello's article in The Nation. We are also reposting some stories on Duterte's reign of impunity that we published.

*****

Our other stories this week:

FilAm nurse Menchu de Luna Sanchez proved that some heroes don't wear capes, they wear scrubs. The FilAm founding editor Cristina DC Pastor writes about Sanchez's amazing bravery during Superstorm Sandy's devastation in 2012, a feat honored by the Obama administration.  

A 94-year-old Filipina, fondly called Lola Naty, wrote a children's book about her beloved dog, thus fulfilling her lifelong dream to be a writer. PF contributing writer Claire Mercado-Obias pays tribute to the late author of My Dog Carter.

Though Visayan pop -- a sub-genre of Filipino pop music -- still has a small footprint in people's consciousness, it's nonetheless making waves with some innovative tunes and creative lyrics, mostly in Cebuano, from its talented propagators on Tiktok. First-time PF contributor Julienne Loreto introduces Vispop with love. 

In The Know

Rodrigo Duterte Is at The Hague. What’s Next for the Philippines?
https://www.thenation.com/article/world/rodrigo-duterte-hague/

Duterte provided ‘overwhelming evidence’ for his conviction: expert
https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/17/duterte-provided-overwhelming-evidence-for-his-conviction-expert-1948

Dane’s Post
https://www.facebook.com/danecusto/posts/2920647618089679

Collateral Damage: How Duterte's Alleged Crimes Followed a Manila Cop to Canada
https://www.esquiremag.ph/politics/news/duterte-alleged-crimes-manila-cop-a3690-20250314-lfrm

Rappler Talk: PNP’s Nicolas Torre III on arresting Duterte
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCPWtIi5sjs
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Justice Comes for Rodrigo Duterte

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Finally, ex-President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by Interpol and flown to The Hague to await trial for crimes against humanity. It's the first step toward justice for the families of thousands of victims of his extrajudicial killings. It's also a victory for international law and the relentless efforts of human rights activism, which has sought every available legal means to make this authoritarian pay for his inhumanity.

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To be mayor of New York City is to enter the national political stage -- no mean feat that can make and/or break those who dare seek the office. Such probability has not stopped Filipina Jewish American Deirdre Levy, an educator and community leader, from throwing her proverbial hat in the ring. Facing such formidable (though discredited) competitors as former NY Governor Andrew Cuomo and the current (disgraced) Mayor Eric Adams, Levy's candidacy is definitely daring. PF contributing writer Elaine J. E. Degale looks at the big picture. 

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Dr. Walden Bello, the intellectual giant of both the Philippine Left and the Global South, has come out with his memoir, Global Battlefields: My Close Encounters with Dictatorship, Capital, Empire and Love (as published by Ateneo Press in the Philippines; the international version is from Clarity Press with the title Global Battlefields: Memoir of a Legendary Public Intellectual from the Global South). This is Bello's 27th book, an impressive count by any standard. PF book reviewer, Prof. Patricio Abinales says he "enjoyed it a lot," meaning the memoir displays Bello's usual sharp intellect and wit, incisive storytelling and beautiful prose -- evident in his many writings. ["Our Trotsky"]

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Each of us has a woman or two in our lives to whom we attribute the shaping of our characters. For PF contributing writer Nanette Carreon-Ruhter, that woman was her grandmother, who she called "Edaw," whose passing ripped her heart apart. Many of us have gone through similar grief and this story lets us know that we're not alone.

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Our Video of the Week is a short documentary on the Filipino farm workers of the early and mid-20th century, our manongs. Produced by George Ow, Jr. and directed by Mark Schwartz, "Dollar a Day, 10 Cents a Dance" includes footages from Fred Cordova and Philip Vera Cruz, among others.
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