Today, we honor one of the greatest heroes of the Philippines—Andres Bonifacio, the founder of the revolutionary society Katipunan. We will commemorate this day by paying tribute not only to the Great Plebeian but also to the unsung heroes of the Philippine foreign service—the men and women who risked their lives by serving in conflict … Continue reading Unsung Heroes
ISIS
Exile
Fly Dubai FZ211 bound for Baghdad was half empty compared to the flight to Jeddah that was scheduled to leave the same time from Terminal 4 of Dubai International. As the Boeing 737 taxied, the onboard entertainment system began showing "American Sniper." Quite timely, I told myself. Is it an indication of things to come? In my bag was the book "Green Zone" that Chuchay and Butch Fernandez gave as a going away present.
Lito and the Sniffing Dog
Lito already had an assignment order even before I volunteered to go to Iraq but as head of post I still had the final say. I really wanted to make sure I get the right people to serve with me in Baghdad—one of the most challenging posts in the foreign service because of, among others, the average of five terrorist bombings that take place there everyday.
DISPATCHES FROM THE FRONTLINE 