Monday, December 24, 2012

The not-so-smart SMART


By REY O. ARCILLA
MALAYA
‘SMART is not smart at all… unless one considers its ability to cheat its customers as being smart.’
PRESIDENT Aquino told the unfortunate victims of super typhoon Pablo “to stop the blaming”. Why shouldn’t or couldn’t they? They know whereof they speak.
Noynoy ordered a probe to determine the cause of the high death toll and said he “will not stop to prevent this kind of calamity (from happening again).”
That’s a no-brainer… the cause, I mean. The blame rests squarely on the greedy shoulders of illegal loggers and corrupt government officials. Everyone knows that.
All that Noynoy has to do is to issue an order totally banning logging from now on, coupled with a nationwide reforestation program… and strictly enforcing it.
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A word of appreciation goes to the countries that immediately pledged help for the victims as of this writing: Australia, P210,000.000; Canada, P10,000,000; and the US, P4,000,000. China’s Red Cross Society has given its Philippine counterpart P1,400,000.
Other countries and institutions are expected to pledge contributions shortly.
***
For sheer lack of logic, China’s feeble attempt to clarify her recent policy to “board, search and expel” foreign vessels plying the West Philippine Sea (WPS) failed miserably.
China said that the new rule applies only to those engaged in illegal activities and only if the ships were within the 12 nautical miles zone of the surrounding islands that China claims.
But the problem is she claims virtually all of the islands in the WPS. As the Chinese spokesperson said, “the new regulations apply to all of the hundreds of islands scattered across the sea, and their surrounding waters”, which include the disputed ones claimed by other countries, the Philippines among them.
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Meanwhile, the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines, Ma Keqing, reportedly gave assurance to the editors of the Inquirer that “China will only be reactive when it is provoked. China will not initiate any incident. China will not be provocative. That I can say. It’s the commitment of China.”
Her assurance obviously doesn’t jibe with reality. First, there was Beijing’s decision to stamp Chinese e-passports with the map of China that includes the WPS and now, this order to “board, search and expel” foreign vessels in the area.
At the same meeting with the Inquirer editors, Ma reportedly reiterated the proposal for joint exploration of mineral, oil and marine resources in the WPS as she “cannot see” a solution to the territorial dispute between the two countries “in the near future.” She obviously meant the proposal as an interim or stop-gap solution to the problem.
I have long ago said that we should be open to the proposal, given the stated position of our main ally, the US, on the dispute and the seeming indifference or more precisely the “wait-and-see” attitude of the other claimant countries, except Vietnam, which have remained eerily silent on the issue.
The news that the meeting among the Asean claimant-countries to be held in Manila on December 12 has been postponed is to me another indication that except for the Philippines, the others are also open to the possibility of bilateral discussions with China.
Come to think of it though, Noynoy himself has at least on one occasion said he is open to the idea, with the question of sovereignty being set aside in the meantime. If he has already discarded the idea, then we should bring the issue to a head by sending back our ships to Panatag Shoal and filing a case with the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea. Those are not by their very nature provocative acts.
Then, and only then, will we see how China reacts… and the US!
Walang mangyayari kung puro dada lang tayo.
***
While I congratulate Ambassador Erlinda Basilio on her assignment to Beijing, I also wish to commiserate with her on a most difficult task.
Without belittling in any manner her qualifications for the post, Basilio’s bosses must understand that foreign policy in China is not decided at the foreign ministry level. It is decided by the Politburo, taking into account the recommendation of the member in charge of foreign affairs. It would therefore not be fair for her bosses to expect immediate results from her.
***
Warm congratulations to Ms. LV de Guzman, a 2009 graduate of the College of International Relations, Lyceum of the Philippines University, for passing the extremely difficult Foreign Service Officers examination. She is one of 9 who passed, out of 534 who took the examination.
Aside from being a very bright and attractive lady, Ms. De Guzman has the distinction of having a unique name… Yes, her first name is LV (pronounced as “elvi”).
***
I have no idea what the acronym SMART stands for. But I know what the word means.
Well, SMART is not smart at all… unless one considers its ability to cheat its customers as being smart!
I have been for years a plan subscriber of SMART that entitles me to a new cell phone unit every two years. For almost three years now, they refuse to give me a new one for some cockeyed reason. They say that the company that pays for my subscription has another subscriber whose dues have not been paid. That is another subscription, another transaction. Mine is different, for which dues are regularly paid. For the life of me, I do not see the logic there.
And don’t even try complaining to some faceless call center agent. You will only suffer further aggravation. That’s why I stopped.
But lately, many of my text messages are not received by intended recipients, especially GLOBE subscribers. Aside from the aggravation, there have also been some “lost opportunities” to me because of this not-so-smart SMART.
What say you, Mr. Manuel Pangilinan?!
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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) Investigation of reported anomalies in the GSIS during the watch of Winston Garcia.
3) Facilitating the investigation of rampant cor­ruption in the military and police establishments.
4) Expeditious action by the AFP on the case of Jonas Burgos
***
Today is the 219th day of the sixth year of Jonas Burgos’ disappearance.
Why has Noynoy not signed the bill passed by Congress on enforced disappearances until now? Is he afraid of the military’s reaction?
For someone whose human rights and those of his family have been violated during Marcos’ martial rule, Noynoy gives the impression, especially to his fellow human rights victims, that he is indeed afraid of the military. His recent appointment of a general who is accused of human rights violations to the very sensitive post of chief of the Intelligence Services of the AFP does give credence to the impression. Sad.
***
From an internet friend:
One day, a long, long time ago…
There lived a woman who did not whine, nag or bitch…
But that was a long time ago… and it was just that one day.
The End.
(I said this was from an internet friend… okay?)
***
Email: roacrosshairs@yahoo.com

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