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Thursday, February 16, 2012

‘Incompetent’

BY REY O. ARCILLA
MALAYA

‘Does DFA Secretary Del Rosario have the gumption to tell Noynoy not to insist on Domingo Lee as ambassador to Beijing?’

AFTER her attending physicians certified that she is “physically fit” to leave the hospital and treated as an out-patient, Ms. Gloria Arroyo now wants to be under house arrest instead of staying in the hospital.

“Ano siya, siniswirti?”, was the common reaction of most people I talked to.

An online survey being conducted by the Philippine Star shows that those who want her confined in a government detention facility greatly outnumber those who think she should be under house arrest or placed in a government hospital.

It just proves how much people detested her during all the years she usurped the presidency.

***

Arroyo’s younger son, Dato, a carpetbagger of a congressman from Camarines Sur, had the temerity to ask the people to “pray for my mother”. Huh? What has she done to deserve such favor? He said she “was a very caring and loving mother”. To her brood, maybe. But was she caring and loving of the people she purported to lead in nine years of her stolen presidency? No. She was caring and loving only to members of her family and to her corrupt relatives and friends in both the public and private sectors who did her bidding to keep her hold on power.

If anyone is to do any praying, it should be she. She should pray for the people whose trust she betrayed and at the same time beg the Almighty to forgive her for all the sins she has committed during her illegitimate regime.

***

The victims and relatives of the Maguindanao massacre should figure prominently in her prayers, given the fact that it was she who was ultimately responsible for the Ampatuan’s unbridled power that emboldened them to do as they pleased with the funds of the province and the lives of its poor inhabitants.

The question uppermost in the minds of people now is how long before the Maguindanao victims and their families will get justice. At the rate the ongoing trial is moving, someone said it will take some 55,000 years to finish it. That may be a bit of an exaggeration but after two years, someone should be in jail by now.

This is the exact same thing that people are afraid of in the case of Arroyo. How long will it take before she gets her just desserts? A lot will depend on President Noynoy Aquino, I’m afraid. He should do everything in his power to see that justice is done within a reasonable period. The Justice Department and the judiciary should do their job with dedication and commensurate speed. Anything less will only serve to frustrate and make the people angrier than they already are.

***

Eduardo Manugue from Pampanga, Arroyo’s home province, writes:

“Hanggang saan kaya hahantong ang kapalaran ng ating mga kapatid na biktima ng Maguindanao massacre? Dalawang taon na ang nakakaraan at naghahanap pa rin ng hustisya hindi lang ang buong bayan kundi ang kani-kanilang pamilya ng mga biktima. Palagi namin naiisip ang tulong ng media sa karaingan ng mamamayan. Sila ang aming sumbungan sa mga problemang isyu at para maiparating sa kinauukulan. At ngayon, nakakalungkot, sila mismo ang biktima at tingin namin napakalayo ng pag-asa para matamo nila ang katarungan! At kaming simpleng mamamayan lubos ang aming pag-aalala, kung itong mga myembro ng media ay naghahanap ng katarungan hanggang ngayon, kami pa kaya na umaasa lamang sa kanilang tulong? Hindi ba nakakabahala, kung sino ang tumutulong sila ngayon ang nasa balag ng alanganin? Anong klaseng hustisya mayroon tayo? Nasaan ang katarungan ng mga biktima? Marami pa kami gustong sabihin at ipaabot sa Husgado at sa Administration, @#$%^&*()!!!.. Kumilos kayo! Bigyan ng hustisya ang mga biktima! Papanagutin ang may sala!”

***

Two senators, both with dubious credibility, Gregorio Honasan and Miriam Santiago, warned against possible international backlash if Arroyo is detained in a government facility. What nonsense!

Did foreign investors leave South Korea and Taiwan, for instance, when they jailed their ex-presidents? On the contrary, the reaction of the investors was, “OK, here is a place where we should go and stay ‘coz they are serious about fighting graft and corruption.” And they did!

Santiago said we should not “humiliate” the ex-president by keeping her in a police facility. But she was never really elected by the people their president! And no one is above the law, remember?

Of course, people know that both senators benefited from the “caring and loving” of Arroyo during her illegitimate regime.

***

In reaction to last week’s piece entitled “Two-track Approach”, Lt. Gen. (ret.) Antonio E. Sotelo, a genuine hero of EDSA I (some were mere “opportunists” who, like rats, abandoned a sinking ship) that toppled the Marcos regime, had this to say:

“The PN flagship can be targeted by a modern Chinese warship from 50 miles away and the crew will not even know what hit them. In a shooting war, a ship that antiquated plying the sea by itself is a dead duck. Even by WW II standards (as the Americans would say), it isn’t worth a damn. But at least that ship can give the Navy personnel an experience in seamanship who otherwise would just be tending the golf course.

“The PAF also clamor for fighter aircraft for the defense of our interests in the Kalayaan. If what we can afford is mere second-rate equipment, these will just be a heap of junk in the event of a shooting war and they have no credibility as an intimidating force. We should, therefore, anchor our strategy on something else.”

And to think that the US is selling us another one of her antiquated vessels over which Noynoy’s junior mouthpiece was practically jumping for joy. I think Noynoy’s decision to start sourcing some of our military requirements from South Korea is a good one. He should also explore other sources like Russia.

***

A veteran diplomat, now retired, with very extensive experience in both bilateral and multilateral negotiations, has this to say on the same “Two-track Approach” piece:

“We know from our experience with diplomacy that even in a multilateral forum, bilateral negotiations have to be undertaken to settle the hard core issues before a meeting of the multilateral group. The only approach that has some prospect of success is a two-track approach. Playing one elephant against the other is also not advisable as the battle ground will be in our vicinity. It is the grass that will get trampled.

“It is a well known fact that in its instrument of ratification of UNCLOS, China and many other countries made explicit reservations concerning the dispute settlement chapter of UNCLOS. I believe Thailand is one of those. There is therefore no way of having the ICJ or ITLOS rule on the sovereignty issue on the South China Sea unless all the claimants accept the jurisdiction of the UN Bodies.”

Noynoy and Del Rosario may wish to take note.

***

Several DFA insiders texted me toward the end of last week that Undersecretary for Policy Erlinda Basilio has resigned effective this Thursday, December 1. Others say effective end of this year. Another source, however, insisted Basilio has not resigned. I texted Basilio herself for confirmation. I could be wrong but I am taking her silence or refusal to reply to my query as a confirmation of the news that she has indeed resigned or is planning to resign. I have a feeling it is in deference to Foreign Secretary Albert “Amboy” del Rosario that she has decided not to make public her resignation at this time. I am told she has not spoken to him about it yet.

Del Rosario is supposedly scheduled to return from abroad only today or tomorrow. I understand Basilio is acting secretary until today.

Some say the reason Basilio may be resigning is that the rigors of her present job are beginning to take their toll on her health. Basilio is 70 or thereabouts. Others say she is frustrated by the way things are run in the DFA. It is also possible something may have happened during the recent Asean Summit Meeting in Bali that affected or upset her.

Let’s just watch what happens.

***

Many officers and employees complain about the alleged “oppressive acts and power-tripping” of two DFA high officials. The two allegedly “practically rule the DFA, from foreign assignments to home office assignments, cross-postings, renovations, food in the cafeteria, DFA celebrations, etc.”

I can understand Del Rosario’s preoccupation with substantive matters necessitate his dependence on his underlings to run the day-to-day affairs of the Department. But surely, he must realize that if such were left in the hands of the wrong people, it will ultimately reflect on him. He should, therefore, take the trouble of giving attention to the complaints, some of which may not be mere sourgraping, but have bases in fact.

The alleged oppressive officials are transients in the Home Office and will eventually be assigned abroad again. Therefore, whatever harm they may be doing now, inevitably, will fall on the lap of Del Rosario.

I have a mind to suggest that Del Rosario instruct his favorite future ex-undersecretary for administration Rafael Seguis to look into the matter, but I hesitate to do so because one of the two officials concerned is reportedly from Seguis’ office. The other one is, again reportedly, from the office of Del Rosario himself.

Your call, Mr. Secretary.

***

Senator Serge Osmeña, a member of the Commission on Appointments, has asked Noynoy to withdraw the nomination of Domingo Lee as ambassador to China for “incompetence”. Noynoy said he is not about to replace Lee as his nominee for now. (I believe he is sending the wrong signal to China by insisting on sending an envoy regarded by almost everyone as unfit for the post.) At the same time, he so much as intimated that he will be awaiting the recommendation of the DFA secretary on the matter.

“We will leave it with the secretary of Foreign Affairs to comment on the statement of Senator Osmeña,” Noynoy’s chief mouthpiece said.

Will Del Rosario go against Noynoy’s wish to see Lee in Beijing? Does he have the gumption to tell Noynoy not to insist on Lee?

Again, let’s watch what happens.

***

With how the motoring and commuting public feel and what they say about EDSA, I would not want it named after the late President Cory. She does not deserve any of that derision.

***

Reminders (for Noynoy’s action):

1) Filing of charges against officials of the National Food Administration (NFA) during Arroyo’s illegitimate regime. Noynoy himself said on several occasions that there is documentary evidence to prove the venalities in the past in that agency; 2) facilitating the investigation of rampant corruption in the military and police establishments; 3) expeditious action by the AFP on the case of Jonas Burgos; and 4) investigation of reported anomalies in the GSIS during the watch of Winston Garcia.

***

Today is the 215th day of the fifth year of Jonas Burgos’ disappearance.

***

From an internet friend:

Little Tony returns from school and says he got an F in arithmetic.

“Why?” asks the father?

“The teacher asked ‘How much is 2 x 3, I said 6″, replies Tony.

“But that’s right!” says his dad.

“Yeah, but then she asked me ‘How much is 3 x 2?’”

“What’s the f..#!%*..g difference?” asks the father.

“That’s what I said.”

***

Email: roacrosshairs@yahoo.com

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