GOTCHA
By Jarius
Bondoc
A
former trade undersecretary is complaining to the Bureau of
Immigration about a foreign national for threatening her with harm.
Carissa Cruz Evangelista, the ex-subcabinet member, identified the
“undesirable alien” as Muhammad Ali Nasser al Shehri, a Saudi
national. In a letter to Immigration commissioner Ricardo David,
Evangelista said the threats and cussing resulted from a mere parking
tiff. The incident happened last week at a Makati building where
Evangelista and Nasser are condo neighbors.
Evangelista
admitted having wrongly parked over the line that separates the
slots. Apologizing to Nasser upon being called down to move her car,
she was taken aback when the latter repeatedly cussed and threatened
to slash her tires. Two security guards attested that Nasser yelled
at them too for restraining him. At one point, Evangelista said,
Nasser screamed at her, “I am a man!” The daughter of Rep. Gina
de Venecia, Evangelista said she suffered fright, trauma, mental
anguish, and anxieties from the experience.
*
* *
One
would think that, after the Enrile-Trillanes clash over it, the
gerrymandering of Camarines Sur would be dead. But no, the political
plotters are still at it. Set back at the Senate, they’re shifting
for now to the Comelec. There, public statements seemingly are being
scripted to restart carving out a new province in which to rule.
Despite
last Friday’s end of filing of candidacies for the May 2013
balloting, Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes reportedly announced odd
things. Supposedly the poll body might extend the filing to November
or December. Proponents of creating a new province out of Cam-Sur’s
4th and/or only the 3rd congressional districts quickly pounced on
the item. It means, they crowed, that the bill remains alive, and
they can still get it past the Senate in time for the May election.
In
fairness to Brillantes, it’s the gerrymanderers who are rehashing
his purported words. But if they’re quoting him right, then he’s
shooting from the hip. There is yet no legislation to create a Nueva
Camarines. So far, the Comelec is considering to extend till yearend
only the deadline for filing substitute candidacies, and only for
those identically surnamed. That’s why Sen. Bongbong Marcos, head
of the local government committee where the Nueva-Cam bill pends,
sounded surprised. “I don’t know how that’s supposed to be
handled,” he said. “The pronouncements of Chairman Brillantes are
unclear.” He asked the election chief to issue a categorical
statement on a deadline extension. Last week’s regular filing,
seven months ahead of Election Day, precisely was to give ample time
to print 55 million automated election ballots.
Gerrymandering
reportedly will favor termed-out Reps. Arnulfo Fuentebella and Luis
Villafuerte, of the 3rd and 4th districts, respectively. Rushed
through the House of Reps, the bill will enable them to run as
congressman and governor of a new province. Brillantes was twitted
for earlier stating that the Comelec, despite its meager funds for
the 2013 polls, can spend P75 million out of its savings to hold a
plebiscite on Nueva-Cam. Critics have taken to calling it Nueva-Scam.
Formerly an election lawyer, Brillantes allegedly once had
Fuentebella as a client.
Last
month Sen. Antonio Trillanes denounced Senate President Juan Ponce
Enrile for yielding to lobbies for the gerrymandering. Enrile hit
back by calling Trillanes an ingrate in forgetting his exertions to
get him out of military prison for a 2003 mutiny. Enrile also outed
Trillanes as Malacañang’s backchannel to China during the Panatag
Shoal standoff. Trillanes accused Enrile of divulging state secrets.
The Senate split between their followers, faster than the bill could
halve Cam-Sur.
*
* *
Being
one of many who commented on Trillanes’ back channeling, I was sent
some clarifications by his chief of staff Reynaldo B. Robles.
Excerpts:
•
Trillanes’
role was limited to being a messenger. All proposals and
counterproposals were presented to President Noynoy Aquino, whose
decisions were relayed to China.
•
Malacañang
shouldered the costs. Fifteen meetings were held in May to August,
less than half in China.
•
Then-Ambassador
to Beijing Sonia Brady was not present in any of the meetings because
she assumed office only in August. Trillanes met with her only once,
on August 17 at the Beijing embassy, to brief her about the back
channeling. No Chinese officials were present in the meeting; there
was nothing treasonous about it (contrary to Enrile’s assertion).
•
Trillanes
avoided publicly discussing his role. It was Enrile who revealed it
on national media, to divert public attention from the railroading of
the division of Camarines Sur.
•
Trillanes
is one of few senior government officials who had face-to-face
encounters with Chinese vessels at Panatag during his sea duty in the
Navy. This helped him to appreciate better the tactical conditions
and psyche of sailors of both sides. Such knowledge is complemented
by his training in Public Policy Analysis, his major in taking up his
Master’s degree in Public Administration at the University of the
Philippines.
•
There
are still gaps or points for negotiation about Panatag, as Sec. Mar
Roxas stated after his meeting with Chinese (president-in-waiting) Xi
Jinping. This proves that Trillanes did not sell out any of our
islands to the Chinese.
*
* *
I
wish that Trillanes, having said all that through his aide, would
answer just one of many questions that his outing raised: Who were
the Chinese officials who, as asserted by Malacañang, suggested that
he be the backchannel to begin with?
*
* *
Catch Sapol radio
show, Saturdays, 8-10 a.m., DWIZ, (882-AM).
E-mail: jariusbondoc@gmail.com
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