At one time during his tenure as governor of Maguindanao, Andal Ampatuan Sr. was a Paul Harris fellow.

Remember Frank Chavez, Cory Aquino's solicitor general, and the high-profile lawyer who liked to wear suspenders and bright-colored ties?  

He has reinvented himself after being out of the limelight for some time: Frank has made his debut as a novelist.

Two retired Justices, Josue Bellosillo and Consuelo Ynares-Santiago, have weighed in on the hot-button issue of who should appoint the next Chief Justice. They were quoted in the newspapers as saying that President Arroyo can appoint the next Chief Justice--despite what the Constitution says about midnight appointments and what the Supreme Court had ruled in 1998.

It looks like the Commission on Elections is taking its time deciding the disqualification case of former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada. In two weeks, the Comelec starts printing the ballots for the May elections but, so far, we've not heard a squeak from the poll body.

For Estelito Mendoza, the year began with a signficant event: he turned 80 on January 5.

We know about President Arroyo's speeches and statements--read by her spokesperons and Cabinet members--but rarely do we hear of one-on-one interviews with the press.