The Council of State or the National Security Council should forthwith be convened by PNoy and make possible AMNESTY for the well-meaning Kirams as the topic. Rhetoric has a powerful effect on human conduct. Too many people have died, not for personal motives or self-interests.
The Senate and the House should now file measures for the same purpose, guaranteeing safe-conduct passes for our brothers and sisters coming home to Mindanao, which should chill any prosecutorial zeal of gung-ho dura-lex-sed-lex types. There remains the power to pardon after conviction by final judgment.
Thereafter a settlement must be reached with the parties approaching it in the spirit of justice, peace and brotherhood. As a two-year-old granddaughter, Tala, is being readied for a sepsis operation, I hope and pray that when her time comes she would no longer be concerned over war against fellow Southeast Asians. By then, we would have survived our crises, mended the ruptures of our discord and continued to live and function as well-meaning neighbors.
I have yet to read an account on Sabahans pining for our export-quality type of governance, after 20 years of Marcos-Imelda and ten of GMA-Mike.
Many columnists have again found something they don't understand and proceed to explain it, validating once again that media is the plural of mediocre.
Our politicians must look at the next generation, not only the next elections. The former requires statesmanship. Relevant bills authored by many lawmakers may lead to the proper exercise of prosecutorial zeal, restraint and discretion. Let's stop the no-win blame game.
When the temperature has been brought down, .on Sabah and the trip to Sabah of the Sultanate of Sulu, we may study the Logan's Act of the U.S., of 1799 (for those who look to the U.S.), and Art. 118 of our Revised Penal Code, on the conduct of foreign relations by unauthorized private person that may cause trouble or reprisal, including bloodshed.
Bobby Fischer could not go home to the U.S. after what he did in the Yugoslavia, given Logan, and spent a lot of time with us.
The ICJ option is not there unless both sides consent. I do not see Malaysia consenting. No lessor can just retake leased property and kill occupants.
Four-week instant experts or dilettantes may not be the best advisers for PNoy and DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima exclusively to rely on. I have been student of the Sabah problem from the time I was a law student in the 60's and am now reviewing my long Senate speech on it on December 2, 1987, Manang Letty Ramos-Shahani's Senate Bill No. 206, on it, filed on November 19, 1987, her Privilege Speech of Nov. 23, 1987 (On the New Philippine Archipelagic Baselines), and Sen. Nina Rasul's "On the Philippine Claim to Sabah," delivered on Nov. 24, 1987.
It should not hurt the "overnighters" to read pp. 2332 to 2353 of the Senate Record of Dec. 2, 1987 on my piece and see the edifying exchanges with different views emerging. And the then Senate Prez ended the matter by saying: "The Chair would like to call the attention of the Members of the Senate to the volume that has just been released by the International Studies of UP, entitled "`Readings on the Sabah Question.'"
The instant experts of three or four weeks may soon realize that only the tip of the tip of the iceberg they may have seen and should not be so forward with their explanations, suggestions and brickbats. Mike, of UP and Cornell, Nina, of UP, and Letty, of Wellesley and Sorbonne, were serious Senators. We should also engage Muslims Amina, of UP, and Adel, of Harvard, for their inputs.
We in our bivouacs may not irresponsibly continue blasting the Prez in his commanding heights, who may see more and farther. We should not casually provoke war and reprisals that may involve my two-year-old apo, Tala, about to undergo operation for sepsis.
We have to pick those who took at the next generation instead of the next election. Only Senators Enrile and Santiago may have something to say on the issue but he cannot even campaign for son Jackie because of his eye problem while Miriam is too engaged in Ping's sexual orientation. The Senate is supposed to lead in matters of foreign policy (we kicked out the Americans on September 16, 1991 but Bong is too busy with his Indio series, Lito is preoccupied with his wife's dollar smuggling case in the U.S., Bongbong is too busy asking what about other human rights victims, atbp. The rest are on the hustings while people die.
Pick the next batch of Senators who may have the capacity to handle and understand Sabah, as our next Salongas, Enriles, et al.. Politicians all yata today, no statesmen? Sad.
Who in government today can tell tell Sabah with its polycentric issues from a hole in the ground?
I used to wish my apos would never know their Lolo once worked in the Senate, but not anymore, after Sabah. We did not treat the Senate as a hobby or sideline. We worked for the people and had the right sense of priorities.
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