COMMONSENSE
By Marichu A. Villanueva
The Philippine Star
By Marichu A. Villanueva
The Philippine Star
Fireworks were initially expected at the Commission on Appointments (CA) last Wednesday when it held its plenary session before the 15th Congress adjourned for recess. Initially, a piqued Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago threatened to block at all cost the approval of the two latest Cabinet nominations of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
This was in retaliation to the Palace-ordered “snub” by Cabinet officials invited to her public hearing. Miriam also got peeved at her fellow senators for not supporting her Senate inquiry.
But while there were earlier threats of thunder and noise, the confirmation of Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Manuel Araneta “Mar” Roxas II and Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya as Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) just breezed through at the CA.
In her usual dramatic flair and colorful language, Miriam earlier had vowed to invoke Section 20 of the CA rules which allows any member of the 25-man bicameral body to suspend the confirmation of any presidential appointee for any or no reason at all. Fortunately for all concerned, the better part of Miriam prevailed as she withdrew her objection against Roxas.
This was only after Miriam invoked her much “higher intelligence quotient” to acquiesce to the plea of Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III to withdraw her objection to the nomination of Roxas. With glowing words of praise, Miriam formally welcomed the appointments of Roxas and Abaya who she noted both carry the great names in Philippine history of their forefathers.
Unexpectedly, it was another senator who erupted later that day. Invoking a personal privilege, neophyte Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV delivered a speech lambasting at the Senate floor no less than the leadership of Upper Chamber. In scathing language, Trillanes accused Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile of allegedly railroading the approval of the bill that seeks to divide Camarines Sur into two distinct provinces.
But instead of taking on the upstart senator over the CamSur bill, the astute Enrile came prepared with his own charge sheet. Aided by the notes purportedly of former Philippine ambassador to China, Sonia Brady, Enrile recited a litany of violations by Trillanes of parliamentary conduct, if not breach of national security.
Enrile revealed that he was most surprised when he saw Trillanes in a national security meeting that President Arroyo called at Malacañang. It was at that meeting where Enrile witnessed how Trillanes went overboard in browbeating Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto del Rosario. In the Brady notes he read at the Senate floor, Enrile fumed at the virulent attacks of Trillanes and his hurling of “treason” charges at the DFA Secretary.
The Senate president questioned the unauthorized trips to China that Trillanes made as “backdoor” negotiator for President Aquino. As subsequently confirmed by P-Noy, Trillanes was tapped to help ease the tension between the Philippines and China following the intrusions of Chinese fishing and gun boats into the 200-mile exclusive economic zone in Panatag Shoal off Zambales.
As clarified later by the President, it was Trillanes who offered his services. Trillanes was in China where he was ostensibly asked by his Chinese contacts to help relay their message direct to the President. It was in this context that the presidential authority was given to Trillanes. But who is Trillanes to gain such confidence of no less than the President?
Although amnestied no less by P-Noy a few months after he took office in June 2010, Trillanes did not join the ruling Liberal Party (LP). A re-electionist senator, Trillanes recently joined instead the Nacionalista Party (NP) headed by Sen. Manny Villar who ran but lost to P-Noy in the May 2010 presidential elections. Go figure.
The only thing I know about Trillanes is his being one of the so-called “Magdalo” leaders who staged the failed coup d’etat against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo by taking over Oakwood Hotel in Makati City in July 2003. While attending a hearing of his rebellion case at the Makati Regional Trial Court, Trillanes figured in yet another infamous failed coup when he led the siege on Manila Peninsula Hotel in November 2007.
How could Trillanes be possibly considered as someone very well connected and knowledgeable about China affairs? Was it because of an incident in Scarborough Shoal when then as Navy ensign, Trillanes figured in an “accidental” ramming of Chinese fishing boats?
This little unknown incident nearly caused a diplomatic row with China during the term of former President Joseph Estrada. The DFA was headed then by Domingo Siazon Jr. and the Defense secretary then was ex-Sen. Orlando Mercado. Private funds were tapped from Filipino-Chinese businessmen who pooled their money to pay for the damage to the Chinese fishing boats to help prevent irritants between the Philippines and China.
I would assume it was also in this context when Estrada called Trillanes “ingrate” after the senator engaged Enrile in a bitter exchange of words. Enrile is the president of Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino party.
Actually, Estrada disclosed it was him who included Trillanes in the 12-man senatorial ticket of the Genuine Opposition (GO) during the May 2007 elections. Trillanes got the GO slot, Estrada said, being a known “enemy” of then President Arroyo.
Perhaps, P-Noy also shares the same principle that the “enemy of my enemy is my friend” when he accepted the offer of Trillanes to be his “backdoor” negotiator with China. But who needs that kind of “back door” when you can enter through the front door?
That’s what Roxas did in his special assignment last week as the President’s representative to the China-ASEAN Expo held in Nanning, China. Roxas met and talked with Chinese leader-in waiting Xi Jinping and talked they did.
The Roxas front-door act should decommission the “backdoor” negotiations of Trillanes if only to remove this vital national security matter out of the realm of shadowy characters.
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