By Atty. Antonio P. Pekas

What a 23 years. It was a joke at first, but now here we are. From the notes written on a tissue paper in a coffee shop along Makati Ave., Makati City, where the idea of bringing out this paper was hatched, there came out the first issue of this paper after more than a week, on the first Sunday of 1996.
The excruciating struggle is over. But we hark back to those first few years. Difficult those might have been, we lived up to the idea or our ideal of coming up with the NEWS AS IT SHOULD BE. THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY.
We might be more comfortable now and we can pride ourselves of having come this far (we count more than two dozens of other local papers that tried but died since 1996), but we have to answer the question if we are living up to our ideal.
Admittedly, we are not as gung ho anymore about being different. But perhaps we found our own level. If we turned out short of our ideal, then some revisiting is in order, for indeed, that had been coming up in my mind the past few years. Yes, some revisiting had been popping up mentally but the circumstances had not permitted a reinvention—rather a going back to how we were.
But we have not lost it and will not lose it. Some strands of it are still there. All that will have to be done is to build on them. To get back the spirit and the measure if it had been truly regained is if we are causing the blood pressure of those in power to rise to the level called “high blood.” Yes, the measure would be if we are getting them out of their comfort zones.
If not, then we are not doing our job. That we have capitulated to the establishment. We should be needling the establishment. We should be getting libel cases and other angry faces when we meet politicians and bureaucrats. Once we start enjoying hobnobbing with them, then we are done as a paper, as a member of the fourth estate.
And so we will build on the remaining strands of idealism. Not perhaps with the youthful vigor and inspiration we used to have that fueled this paper through the years until these are almost exhausted. Now we are talking about the present, our present.
We know that we have to and so we will. Otherwise we will end up being buried by new realities, particularly the Internet. In short, we have to find a way to be relevant in society, most especially in areas where we developed some deep roots or where we hold some sway. In the past, a number of Cordilleran politicians would have happily shot us had they got the chance. But in all those circumstances, the truth was on our side and must always be whenever similar circumstances would arise. If not, then we are not being responsible in dispensing our duties.
As to the oft repeated question on whether the print media will survive the juggernaut of the Internet, recent international events point to their importance and their continued survival. Look at the brouhaha about the fake news of US President Donald Trump or the blogger brigade of PDu30 in the Philippines. These made people realize about the value of responsible journalism and the importance of relying on edited materials, particularly those in the print media.
Of course so many are easily swayed by gossip and fake news as they have come to be called. These are of the ilk who would wake up one morning to find out they have been had by schemers, losing their savings or retirement benefits.
Others are shocked to find out they have cancer and have to wage a losing battle to save their lives. While we do not assure that reading this paper will save people from such societal and personal vagaries, it might help.
So just keep on reading us and some bad things might be avoided in your life. If we are attacking you for alleged corruption or bad deeds, it would do you well to change. Some people did not and they ended up suffering the ultimate karma which we often talked about.
Some people continue to ignore our repeated calls for a healthy lifestyle and they also prematurely ended up six feet under the ground.
Others don’t even care to read us or any other paper for that matter and they ended up unable to compose a decent sentence in English, or losing in the scramble for employment or other opportunities for advancement.
I might be being pretentious but I have seen enough the past 23 years, and I guess we will be around the next 23 years.**