Category: Philippine Star

The government is committed to cracking down on corruption and reducing red tape, which the United States cited as impediments to the Philippines’ efforts to attract foreign investments.

Trade Secretary Cristina Roque told The STAR yesterday that the government is committed to fighting corruption to clean up the system and restore public trust, acknowledging that recent corruption issues exposed in flood control projects undermine reforms aimed at boosting investor confidence.

In this light, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) sees the creation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure as a major step in uncovering the misuse of public funds and ensuring accountability.

The DTI is also doing its part to help build a government that the public can trust.

‘We believe that honest and transparent service is key to earning the trust of our people and our business community. That’s why we’re going digital, cutting red tape and making sure our processes are clear and fair,’ Roque said in a Viber message.

Roque’s comments were made following the release of the US Department of State’s 2025 Investment Climate Statement on the Philippines, which cited challenges faced in attracting foreign investments, as well as recent moves to improve the overall investment climate and promote economic growth.

According to the report, the Philippines’ efforts to attract foreign investments have been hampered by corruption, poor infrastructure, high power and logistics costs, regulatory inconsistencies and a cumbersome bureaucracy.

‘Corruption is a pervasive and long-standing problem in both the public and private sector,’ the report said.

It also highlighted the lack of progress in addressing corruption since 2019, with the Philippines placing 114th out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index.

In addition, the report said various organizations, including the World Economic Forum, have cited corruption among the top problematic factors for doing business in the Philippines, with the Bureau of Customs still considered as one of the most corrupt agencies.

‘The Philippines’ complex, slow, redundant and sometimes corrupt judicial system inhibits the timely and fair resolution of commercial disputes,’ the report said.

The traffic in major cities and congestion in the ports was also cited as barriers to doing business.

‘While the Philippine bureaucracy can be slow and opaque, the business environment has been better in special economic zones,’ the report said.

The report said recent reforms aimed at attracting new investors were also put in place, such as the CREATE MORE Act, which expanded incentives.

The law extended the period for tax exemptions up to 27 years, clarified value-added tax zero-rating rules and streamlined local tax policies.

American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines executive director Ebb Hinchliffe said in a Viber message that the US report reflects investors’ top concerns.

While investors are encouraged by recent reforms such as the CREATE MORE, Ease of Paying Taxes Law and the executive order on green lanes for streamlined processing of permits, he said businesses are pushing for other measures to strengthen the country’s investment climate.

‘We continue to advocate for structural reforms that promote transparency and business efficiency. These include the passage of the Freedom of Information Act, National Single Window System Act and amendments to the Bank Secrecy and Electric Power Industry Reform Acts,’ Hinchliffe said.

According to Hinchliffe, streamlining travel requirements for foreign tourists and reviewing Revenue Memorandum Circular 5-2024, which covers the tax treatment of cross-border services, are also critical steps to boost investor confidence and position the Philippines as a competitive destination for global investment.

‘Equally important is the consistent implementation of existing laws such as the Ease of Doing Business Act and CREATE MORE,’ he said.

Rep. Martin Romualdez denied another round of bribery allegations thrown against him, this time by Vice President Sara Duterte, who claimed he also accepted bribes from illegal gambling.

‘Naririnig ko ang mga akusasyon. Diretsahan kong sasabihin: hindi totoo na ako’y tumatanggap mula sa ilegal na sugal,’ he said in a statement on Monday, September 29. (I’ve heard the accusations. I will directly say it’s not true that I accept [bribes] from illegal gambling.)

A former Philippine National Police chief has been appointed investigator and special adviser to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), replacing Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong – also a retired PNP official – who resigned just two weeks after his appointment to the post.

Malacañang announced yesterday the appointment of retired Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., who served as PNP chief from August 2022 to April 2023.

‘The administration is confident that General Azurin’s experience and leadership will further strengthen the commission’s mandate to uphold accountability and transparency in the use of public funds,’ the Office of the President (OP) said in a statement.

Sought for reaction to his appointment, Azurin, who is abroad, told The STAR via Messenger, ‘I will be honored to help the administration in its ongoing investigation and to support the call of the President for better governance for a better Philippines.’

Azurin will assume his duties after concluding his personal and administrative arrangements, according to the OP statement.

A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy’s Makatao’ Class of 1989, Azurin served as commander of the Northern Luzon Police Area, which covers the Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Cordillera regions.

Azurin was embroiled in the alleged cover-up of the P6.7-billion shabu haul involving high-ranking PNP officers, which the Senate had investigated.

He was later cleared in the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs’ investigation on the controversy.

President Marcos, meanwhile, expressed his gratitude to Magalong for his service and contributions to the administration’s anti-corruption efforts.

‘His efforts in safeguarding the integrity and credibility of the commission have been vital to the government’s campaign against corruption in infrastructure projects,’ the OP said.

In a letter to the President which circulated on Friday, Magalong said he resigned as special adviser to the ICI to spare it from doubts related to his appointment. ‘This was not an easy choice,’ Magalong said in a statement, ‘but one I believe is necessary.’

Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto meanwhile clarified that he had never been offered the job of IC advisor and investigator, contrary to a report on a news channel.

In a Facebook post, Sotto said he was misquoted by Bilyonaryo News Channel when asked if he would accept the ICI post following the resignation of Magalong, who is a co-convenor in the Mayors for Good Governance (M4GG).

Aside from Sotto and Magalong, the other convenors are Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and Isabela City Mayor Sitti Hataman.

‘I was quoted wrong. If you listen carefully, what I said was, ‘Nag-release na po kami ng statement.’ What I was referring to was our statement from M4GG in support of Mayor Benjie Magalong,’ he said.

After being called out for its decision not to livestream its proceedings, the ICI said it would make sure its probe on corruption in flood control projects would be insulated from political interference.

‘It’s important that we maintain the integrity of the commission,’ ICI executive director Brian Keith Hosaka said yesterday. ‘We don’t want the commission to be used for any political agenda.’

He maintained that the ICI’s investigation is a process that involves careful assessment of every piece of evidence laid out before the three-member body.

‘It’s hard to simply believe the statement of one witness, especially if his or her background is unknown,’ Hosaka said.

‘The commission needs to be prudent so that the cases filed would be supported by correct evidence and hold judicial scrutiny,’ he added.

Hosaka reiterated that the committee would not be beholden to any political party.

‘We will be independent,’ he said, adding, ‘We will not allow any group to use us for any political agenda or leverage because we want to seek the truth. We want to know who was really responsible for this mess. We owe that to the Filipino people.’

‘Currently, the ICI hearings are not livestreamed. This is the present policy of the commission. The initial hearings, so far, are for purposes of case build-up for criminal, civil and administrative action,’ He said in a statement.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan urged the fact-finding body to reevaluate its decision in the name of transparency. ‘Do not test the people’s desire to know the truth,’ he warned in a post on X.

Officials and members of the Minority Bloc in the House of Representatives have also expressed objection to limiting public access to ICI investigation.

‘ICI was created to seek for truth, justice and accountability. And transparency is an essential ingredient thereof, since its purpose would be defeated if its hearings are not accessible to the public,’ complained House Deputy Minority Leader Leila de Lima.

‘It also serves as a venue for those accused or implicated to clear their names. For the policy to come from ICI itself about the possibility of a trial by publicity, does it then mean that it cannot trust itself that it can handle such types of investigation?’ she asked.

‘This is very disappointing and frustrating – a body with limited powers to investigate anomalous flood control projects and which is merely a recommendatory board, is not fully accessible to the public,’ the former senator and justice secretary said.

Minority House members Marcelino Libanan (4Ps party-list) and Perci Cendaña of Akbayan party-list also voiced objection to ICI’s decision.

‘There’s no real accountability without transparency. Let the people in. The people have all the right to watch the ICI proceedings precisely because the funds that were stolen were the taxes that they have paid religiously,’ Libanan said.

‘To begin with, the corruption took place because the process was not transparent in the first place – from the bicameral conference committee up to the project implementation stage. And now, even the investigation itself does not have any transparency at all?’ Cendaña pointed out.

Lucio Tan-led Philippine Airlines (PAL) has been named as one of the world’s four-star airlines by an industry network that specifically assesses in-flight comfort and passenger service.

The flag carrier was recognized a four-star major airline for 2026 by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX).

The APEX Awards are considered as some of the highest accolades in the aviation industry, as it gathers verified feedback covering more than one million flights yearly across over 600 airlines.

PAL chief operating officer Carlos Luis Fernandez said the award places the airline in the league of some of the world’s finest carriers.

As a four-star major airline, PAL was judged as one of the best for cabin comfort, food and beverage, in-flight entertainment and overall service.

‘We remain steadfast in sustaining the highest standards of service for the welfare of passengers we serve across our global network. The trust and confidence of our travelers inspire us in PAL to further elevate our service standards,’ Fernandez said.

Also joining the four-star list are Air Europa, Air Mauritius, Air Transat, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Cayman Airways, Condor, EgyptAir, flydubai, Hong Kong Airlines and Icelandair.

The list also includes Kenya Airways, KM Malta Airlines, Norse Atlantic Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Brunei Airlines, Royal Jordanian, SriLankan Airlines, Virgin Australia and WestJet.

Among global airlines, APEX gave five stars to some Asian carriers, such as Bangkok Airways, Gulf Air and Vietnam Airlines.

PAL is landing wins after wins in its recovery from the pandemic restructuring. The carrier won as the second most preferred airline in Southeast Asia at the 2025 Flyers’ Choice Awards.

Cirium also named PAL as the most punctual airline in Asia and the Pacific for August. The airline turned in an on-time rate of 89.37 percent during the month, outperforming even some of the region’s finest like Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines.

PAL plans to maintain its position as a respected full-service carrier through the addition of new aircraft and the refurbishment of existing assets.

Currently, PAL is reconfiguring 18 of its Airbus A321ceos by sacrificing seats to expand space for passenger comfort, and the airline will receive new long-range aircraft starting at the end of this year.

‘Idol Kids Philippines’ has officially named its first grand winner, with kiddie hopeful Alexa Mendoza clinching the title in the Final Showdown held Sunday, September 28.

Nine-year-old Alexa, who hails from Laguna, emerged as the grand winner after earning 98.88 percent of the combined public votes and judges’ scores, showcasing her artistry with the original piece ‘Maaabot Ko’ and her rendition of Eraserheads’ classic ‘Ang Huling El Bimbo.’ Alexa won an exclusive contract with StarPop and a cash prize of over P1 million.

Adding to the milestone are original songs from the Top 3 kiddie hopefuls, with Klied performing ‘Pakinggan Mo’ and Quinn offering ‘Dalangin,’ alongside Alexa’s winning piece. All tracks were produced by award-winning songwriter and producer Jonathan Manalo.

The in-studio lyric videos will be available on the ABS-CBN Star Music YouTube Channel, while the official EP will be released this Friday (October 3) on all streaming platforms worldwide.

The Final Showdown also featured performances from ‘It’s Showtime’ hosts Jhong Hilario and Vhong Navarro, who delivered high-energy numbers that lit up the stage.

Capping the season were the Kapamilya Idol judges, Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, Power Diva Angeline Quinto, record-breaking singer-songwriter Juan Karlos, and Mr. Pure Energy Gary Valenciano, who have guided and witnessed the growth of the kiddie hopefuls throughout the competition.

Joining the celebration were the ‘Idol Kids Philippines Spotlight’ IdolKada online hosts, Kapamilya actress and Idol hopeful Shanaia Gomez and Jeremy G, who brought added energy and connection to fans online throughout the season.

Viewers can relive the journey and performances of the kiddie hopefuls on the official ‘Idol Philippines’ YouTube channel and on-demand via iWant.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has flagged incomplete or ‘ghost’ farm-to-market road projects in two provinces so far, as part of its ongoing audit of infrastructure programs, amid concerns over possible corruption and mismanagement in multibillion-peso flood control projects.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said yesterday two anomalous projects were identified in Davao Occidental.

‘It was two, in 2021 and 2022. We have not seen any recent projects, just those two,’ Tiu Laurel told reporters in a chance interview at the House of Representatives.

He noted that in the overall scope of DA infrastructure initiatives, the scale of the issue was relatively small.

Another project was spotted in Zamboanga del Norte, where a road remains unfinished and unusable.

Tiu Laurel did not provide details, such as the cost or value of the projects, noting instead they are still undergoing validation.

He said the findings will be reported to President Marcos amid the ongoing Senate inquiry on flood control projects that were either poorly built or overpriced, allowing officials and contractors to pocket kickbacks.

The revelations have implicated several lawmakers and government personnel, sparking public outrage and calls for accountability.

At the center of the controversy are billionaire contractors Sarah and Pacifico Discaya, who have since admitted to bribing lawmakers and officials at the Department of Public Works and Highways with hundreds of billions of pesos to secure massive contracts.

Several officials have been dragged into the mess, including former House member Zaldy Co and speaker Martin Romualdez as well as Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Joel Villanueva and Chiz Escudero along with former senators Nancy Binay and Bong Revilla.

Host University of Santo Tomas shoots for a third straight win to gain a share of lead with Ateneo when it clashes against fellow unbeaten National University in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament Wednesday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila.

Game time is at 4:30 p.m. after the La Salle-Far Eastern University duel at 2 p.m., with the Growling Tigers (2-0) banking on their home crowd anew to break a second-spot tie with the Bulldogs (2-0) and join the Ateneo Blue Eagles (3-0) on top of the league nearing the halfway mark of the first round.

The three remain as the only undefeated squads in the squad, with UST being the biggest revelation so far after slaying reigning champion University of the Philippines and La Salle, finalists of the last two UAAP seasons.

Led by super rookie Collins Akowe, momentum and confidence are on the España-based dribblers on the back of a mammoth 87-67 trashing of the Fighting Maroons and a stellar 93-84 comeback over the Green Archers for a statement start.

But while that shored up UST’s tag as this year’s dark horse especially with UP and La Salle still adjusting to the departure of their core led by Finals MVP JD Cagulangan and two-time MVP Kevin Quiambao, the mission is just beginning.

Winning against the Bulldogs, who have also taken care of their first two games, is just a continuation for the Tigers.

‘This is not a statement. We’re just happy that we’re progressing as a team. Right now, we’re just focusing on ourselves and our games, which is now against NU,’ said ace playmaker Forthsky Padrigao, who returned from a one-game suspension with 12 points, nine assists and three steals against La Salle.

‘UST this year is not the same as UST last year. Medyo may confidence na kami ngayon but we have to keep grounded. We just have to stick to what we’re doing,’ said assistant coach Peter Martin.

Starring in the duel is Akowe, who will be in first match against what was anticipated as his collegiate school after graduating from the National University-Nazareth School as UAAP juniors MVP and Best Foreign Student-Athlete, before surprisingly committing to UST.

Count on the readiness of the Bulldogs to finally try to stop the 6-foot-10 Senegalese anchor, who feasted on UP and La Salle with averages of 24.8 points and 18 rebounds.

‘We will be ready no matter what happens talaga. At hindi lang naman si (Collins) ‘yung paghahandaan namin. Buong UST ang paghahandaan namin. We’ll see,’ said Bulldogs mentor Jeff Napa after their wins against FEU, 84-68, and University of the East, 72-57.

Spotlight back on local volley.

The Premier Volleyball League is kicking off its Reinforced Conference on Oct. 7 with the country still buzzing from the just concluded FIVB Men’s World Championship where the Philippines showcased its growing volleyball prowess on the global stage.

Eight of the 12 PVL teams including ‘On Tour’ and Invitational champion PLDT have acquired imports in preparation for the tourney.

The High Speed Hitters have enlisted 33-year-old Russian Anastasia Bavykina as early as two weeks ago. Bavykina has been blending well with the team that should be spearheaded by Savi Davison.

‘She fits well into the team and should provide stability and experience,’ said PLDT manager Bajjie del Rosario of the outside hitter who last suited up for Yenisey Krasnoyarsk back home in Russia.

League powerhouse Creamline was actually the first to tab an import in American spiker Courtney Schwan, who came in a week ahead of Bavykina.

The 29-year-old Schwan was from Auburn, Washington and came off a triumphant stint with the Orlando Valkyries in the Major League Volleyball championship in the United States and should play a pivotal role in the Cool Smashers’ quest for an 11th crown.

For Cignal, Greek outside hitter Eva Chantava is the reinforcement whom the team hopes to help them earn a shot at a breakthrough title.

Other reinforcements who have flown in are Cuban Yunieska Batista for Chery Tiggo, Belgian Helene Rousseaux for Farm Fresh, American Anna DeBeer for ZUS Coffee, Spaniard Paola Martinez Vela for Nxled and returnee Jelena Cvijovic of Montenegro for Galeries Tower.

That’s what Christ told his disciples, James and John, who, feeling aghast that the Samaritans were not welcoming to Christ, suggested that fire come down from heaven to consume them. (cfr. Lk 9,51-56) Of course, Christ rebuked them, telling them straight that they did not have the right spirit.

The proper spirit is precisely what Christ showed them and to all of us which is that of all-out charity, full of understanding, mercy, and magnanimity. It’s a charity that can continue loving even the enemies and would enable one to continue serving everyone even to the extent of giving one’s life as a ransom for all of us. (cfr. Mk 10,45)

We have to be wary of our tendency to fall into what is termed as bitter zeal. While it’s true that we should try to be always zealous in our life, we have to make sure that our zeal is righteous, holy, and charitable, not bitter, with a clear and proper sense of purpose, not just aimless.

Righteous zeal is always respectful of legal, juridical and, most importantly, of moral standards, especially that of charity and mercy. Bitter zeal wants instant results while ignoring legal and moral requirements, let alone the requirements of charity and mercy. It may pursue a valid cause, working for truth and justice, but without taking care of the appropriate means.

Bitter zeal makes a person hasty and reckless in his assessment of things. It fails to consider all angles, to listen to both sides, so to speak. He is prone to imprudence. In the end, it’s animated by the evil spirit of self-righteousness.

Inflammatory, incendiary words are its main weapons. Being belligerent is its style. It relishes in rousing controversies and sowing intrigues. It’s actually not as interested in looking for the objective truth and justice as carrying out one’s own personal agenda.

Especially when we engage ourselves in matters of opinion, we have to learn to practice restraint and moderation since no one has the exclusive ownership of what is right and fair. Opinions are views that are hardly based on absolute truths of faith and dogmas. They are more expressions of one’s preferences and tastes, and therefore we should expect a wide spectrum of differences, since things depend on people’s different temperaments, backgrounds, cultures, etc.

We have to learn how ‘bear each other’s burdens’ as suggested by St. Paul in his Letter to the Galatians (6,2). It’s the surefire formula of how to live genuine charity, one that is down to earth and easily and abidingly doable.

In this regard, we have to learn how to be magnanimous, knowing how to suffer since suffering is an unavoidable consequence of evil. Magnanimity is part of the charity as described by Christ. ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,’ he said. (Mt 5,44) ‘If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.’

We need to enlarge our heart, to make it more universal to accommodate everyone and any situation and condition properly. We should evade being caught by the grip of our strong views, and even our positions that we think are so essential that they are not anymore subject to opinion.

We have to see to it that our thoughts, desires, and intentions, our words and deeds are always animated by charity. There should no negative elements in them. We have to have a good grip on our emotions, able to dominate and properly orient our biases, preferences, and other idiosyncrasies that constitute our differences and even conflicts with others. We have to learn to focus more on what we have in common rather than what divides us. We have to learn how to dialogue with everyone.

Monday, Oct. 6, the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, is the Mid-Autumn Festival, the second most important festival for Chinese all over the world (the most important is, of course, the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival). It is also a festival celebrating the moon, which is at its fullest and brightest on that night.

In ancient agricultural China, the post-autumn harvest was a time of plenty, a time to thank the gods for a good yield of crops. The term Mid-Autumn (zhong qiu or tiong chiu in Hokkien) first appeared in the Confucian classic Rites of Zhou and the custom of the Mid-Autumn Festival took root in the Tang dynasty. It was in the Northern Song dynasty that the date for the festival was fixed on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. The mooncake, on the other hand, first appeared in the following Southern Song dynasty.

Central to the Mid-Autumn Festival is the mooncake (so some people call it the Mooncake Festival), a round pastry filled with lotus paste or bean paste, embellished with a salted egg yolk (or two), nuts and butong pakwan (thus the urban legend of the old aunties on the second floor of the bakery cracking watermelon seeds with what teeth they still have).

A popular legend has it that during the Yuan dynasty, rebel leaders hid messages inside and distributed mooncakes to call on the people to ‘rise up and revolt’ against the Mongol overlords.

These days mooncakes have become quite fancy with flavors like ube, cheese and even truffle and, since these are often given as gifts, come in ornate containers that can double as jewelry boxes. The traditional bakeries still use the old tin boxes though.

Since the Tsinoy community is predominantly Hokkien from Fujian province, the dice game or pua tiong chiu has taken root here. The game supposedly dates back to the 1600s, invented by Koxinga (an honorific title meaning ‘Lord of the Imperial Surname’ given to the general Zheng Chenggong) to boost the morale of his homesick troops during the Mid-Autumn Festival, since they were stationed in southern Amoy (now Xiamen, in Fujian) to retake Formosa (Taiwan) from the Dutch.

When we were kids we’d hie off to my Amah (grandma)’s house to pua tiong chiu. The game involved six dice and a large bowl (if one of the dice jumps out of the bowl you lose your turn), and a rule book tells you what dice combinations get you what prize. Traditionally, prizes were different sizes of hopia mongo, starting from the smallest at about an inch and a half in diameter to the full 12-inch one. A set consists of 63 hopia in increasing sizes – 32 of the smallest, then 16, eight, four and two, until the Big Kahuna or tsiong guan.

The problem was what to do with all that hopia after the game; the entire household had hopia for merienda for two days (by the third day the mongo filling became dry and hard). So the modern iteration of the game involves prizes other than hopia – anything from candy, toys and trinkets to appliances (I once won a toaster oven) and jewelry to cash. But I haven’t yet heard of any family or group that had a suitcase full of cash as the tsiong guan – but then I don’t move in the circles of contractors and congressmen.

The sums are jaw-dropping. It is mind-boggling how amounts like P125 million, P3.6 billion are so casually thrown around, like P36 or P125. So even if their share is only – ONLY – two percent, it’s still a pretty penny. No wonder they can afford Rollses and Lambos, Ferraris and Benzes – paid for in cash – while the salaried worker has to shop around for the best financing deal to buy a Toyota, which will not be able to go through the lampas gulong floods because the pumping station is not working and the obstructed creek was not dredged and has overflowed.

I still can’t wrap my little round head around how P457 million can be withdrawn from one bank in one day – how many Rimowa suitcases or duffel bags and how many vehicles did it take to transport all that moolah to.whose house? Or shouldn’t I ask?

At the rate top government officials are being implicated in this grand thievery – where there’s smoke there’s fire, right? – the ranks of government, especially the legislature, could be seriously depleted, which might actually be a good thing, one positive to come out of this gargantuan mess.

Although, of course, at this point nobody is guilty; all of the accusations are baseless, politically motivated demolition jobs meant to tarnish reputations. And all charges will be answered in due time, at the proper forum – which I interpret as guilt-speak for ‘give me time to come up with a plausible explanation as I consult my highly paid crisis PR consultant and lawyers.’ There are a few mea culpas – undersecretaries, district engineers – but I’m waiting for the catch of the day, the Big Fishes.

These shenanigans have been going on for years, decades even, with the cast of unsavory characters changing with each change of administration (tenured civil servants are not affected by such changes). Many have said the problem is systemic, meaning it’s ‘rooted in the fundamental structure of the organization or society, such as a corrupt government system, rather than being a problem caused by a few bad individuals.’

Thing is, it’s looking like ‘bad individuals’ have infiltrated the entire system, controlling large parts of it in fact. So who’s going to fix the system? How do we fix the system? The ‘bad individuals’ will corrupt any system that’s put in place; we got rid of PDAF, only for it to be replaced by congressional insertions.

The Queen of Hearts – from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – may have a solution: ‘Off with their heads!’