|
I believe that United States envoy to Manila Kristie
Kenney made an improper behavior the other day by visiting the camp
of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Mindanao. Kenney’s
statement that the visit was “private” does not justify the
visit to an enemy of the Republic holding talks with the government.
We often take for granted insults
to our sovereignty like this visit by a US envoy. But it really
strikes at the root of our seriousness as a nation. We should not
allow any foreign diplomat to visit the camp of our enemy without
the consent of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
What Kenney and Mr. Ebrahim Murad,
the head of the MILF, talked about for one hour should bother us no
end. If they talked about the need to resume the peace
process—that’s all right. If they talked about joint
collaboration to check the inroads of terrorists from
Indonesia—that’s also OK. But if they talked about other matters
detrimental to RP interest, that’s not OK. The point is that we
are in the dark about that meeting.
Kenney should be careful about
dealing with the players in Mindanao. Already, there are suspicions
that the United States has vital interest in that island which it
wants to protect outside diplomatic channels. I know of many people
who think that the US wants to manipulate the players in the area so
that it could have strategic control when the time comes. Is it
possible that Kenney and Murad talked about a common line in the
disposition of ancestral demands in the area?
I remember that when US President
George Bush delivered a speech before the Philippine Congress some
years back, he referred to his constant communication with the MILF
leaders. That truly surprised the Philippine government who thought
that it was the only group that was dealing with the MILF.
The United States is doing a lot
of aid program in the area. But it should not use this aid to
interfere in the peace process that is solely the concern of the
Philippine government.
Patriotic fund for Neri
If there is a complication going
on in the testimony of Jun Lozada in the Senate, it is that some
members of the business community are being hit without the benefit
of a rebuttal. These men who man our businesses are being subjected
to some kind of a trial.
What has Mr. Lucio Tan got to do
with the ZTE? How about the Aboitizes of the South? And the Razons
of the harbor and arrastre business? In the testimony of Lozada,
they were pictured as the evil men who are supposed to create
difficulties for our people.
But there is another side to this
story. Another faction of the elite—unnamed rich families—have
offered last December the amount of P20 million in “patriotic
fund” to CHED chairman Romulo Neri so that he could testify in the
Senate. The question is, who are these families? Are they part of
the conspiracy?
Moral revolution fails
I think the moral revolution
being spearheaded by former Speaker Jose de Venecia has failed even
before its inauguration. Yesterday, Chief Justice Reynato Puno
indicated he could not be chairman of such a movement because of his
position in the judiciary.
De Venecia is not the man who
should lead a moral revolution. He has always been identified with
pragmatism—in business and politics. As a successful businessman,
he had to make decisions to make profit. As a politician, he had to
adjust to the realities of the game where there is no morality.
Let our evangelists and bishops
handle the business of morality. But political leaders like JDV
should concentrate on making our secular constitution work for the
benefit of the people. JDV should continue advocating for a
parliamentary system and uphold the peace process. He is good in
these issues.
Castro resigns
It must be landmark in history
when Fidel Castro, the leader of Cuba, resigns from active service.
He has served too long that the time has come to give the reins of
government to Mr. Raul Castro, his brother and defense minister.
Raul is expected to continue the policies of his brother.
Cuba and the Philippines have
close historical links. We were in one package when Spain ceded the
Philippines to the United States under the Treaty of Paris. We
continue to have an embassy in Havana, even if our trade is limited.
But we have had good cultural exchanges even if the Cold War divided
us.
I had the opportunity to visit
Havana, with the late Salvador Laurel, in a seminar to discuss the
Treaty of Paris. Doy signed a cultural agreement with Cuba and we
visited a well-maintained Rizal park in the Cuban capital. How they
honor our national hero!
|
