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NAGA CITY-In politics, there is neither permanent friend nor permanent foe, and so it seems in Camarines Sur, Bicol's largest and most populous province.

Erstwhile feuding father and son Camarines Sur Representative Luis R. Villafuerte and Governor Luis Raymund "Lray" Villafuerte now both belong to the Nacionalista Party and are expressing support for its standard bearer Manny Villar, and for each other.

RAWIS, LEGAZPI CITY (26 November) - TRAWLERS WITH ACTIVE FISHING GEARS and reportedly armed are plying the fishing grounds of the West Coast of Albay province, specifically the coastal localities of Libon, Ligao, Oas, and Pio Duran, all in this province.

LEGAZPI CITY (26 November) - AMID MANY DEFECTIONS from the ruling party LAKAS - KAMPI - CMD, and despite his earlier endorsement of Senator Francis Escudero for president, Albay Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda made a public statement regarding his continued stay with the administration party.

The power of the media brought to our living rooms heart-rending images of the savagery that had been let loose by brutal men in a village of Maguindanao on hapless civilians including women and journalists.

We are shocked and appalled that such an act could be carried out in broad daylight with indescribable brazenness and effrontery, that it seemed the perpetrators were confident that they could not be made accountable for it.

Gusto kong magtubod na sa ngunyan, gabos na kamo nakakaaram kan mamundong nangyari sa satong kapwa-Pilipino sa Maguindanao. Sosog sa huring bilang, 64 katawo an nakuang gadan. Tinaradtad nin bala sa lalawgon. Dai na magkabiristo. 37 an mga journalists. 21 an mga kababaihan. Linupigan bago ginaradan. Saro bados. Asin 3 an mga kaakian.

Last Monday I was in this school, which now bears the name "Universidad" but one that will always be for me the Colegio de Santa Isabel.

I was not expecting much that night; I was there to provide moral support to Beth, my sister-in-law and my niece, Teris, who were both playing the violin as part of the symphony orchestra of music majors, faculty and alumni.

It appears to me that ever since couples had kids they at the same time had the trouble of putting them to bed in the evenings. I believe all cultures have their "strategies" to finally get their offspring to sleep. Many would read bedtime stories or fairytales to them, before or after that they say a prayer with them, and then hope they fall sleepy and end up dozing away.

On television a few days ago, Sen. Nene Pimentel expressed his non-support of Noynoy Aquino.

"He needs more seasoning," Sen. Pimentel said.

Admittedly, while Noynoy has surged passed all the other presidentiables in surveys after surveys, Sen. Pimentel is correct to a point.

KAN NAKAULAY TAKA PO, MAYOR Raul Matamorosa, makusog an pagsabi mong bilang alkalde kan banwaan, prayoridad mo an kamugtakan kan mga taga-Lupi. Alagad, an sinabi mong ini garo natunaw kan sinabi mo man sako na mayong plano an lokal na gobyerno kan Lupi na kontrahon an proyekto kan mag-inang Gloria asin Dato na dam diyan sa Malaguico, Sipocot, na maglulublob sa banwaan na saimong pinamamayohan.

MANILA - The more your hear and see the less you know. This seems to best describe what politicians articulate during press conferences and say in public, the current leading candidates for president included. They seem merely content with vague slogans: for Sen. Noynoy Aquino - "pagbabago" (change), Sen. Manny Villar - "sipag at tiyaga" (industriousness and persistence), Defense Sec.

MUMBAI, India (UCAN) -- As people recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of the collapse of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, the news was full of euphoric memories as well as critical analysis. Berlin's Archbishop Cardinal Georg Maximilian Sterzinsky pointed out that there are still fundamental differences across that former East-West border.

I learned about a new mechanism that ensures substantial and sustained involvement of civil society in addressing human rights issues in our country. In a Training Conference on Human Rights of Women in Southeast Asia sponsored by the Swedish International Development Agency, a representative from the United Nations Human Rights Council introduced this mechanism called the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).