For a time, I've confined myself to writing just one column a week, on Saturdays, in conformity with changes in editorial direction by The Manila Times. This time however, I begged to be allowed this one more piece this week (on top of the one that appeared yesterday, Saturday: 'The Joker in the WPS battle') lest the imperative for timeliness would not be met if it were to wait for another week.

The Times headline report, 'US bound to defense of PH,' opens, 'United States President Joe Biden reaffirmed to President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. his country's 'ironclad commitment' to defend the Philippines from an attack by a foreign aggressor.