Malaya
(If the US could spend billions of dollars in countries like Egypt, Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan to deter the advance of Islamic extremists and the Al-Qaeda in those countries, why not in the Philippines to keep an aggressive China at bay? The rental money should be used solely for the modernization of our armed forces that would eventually give us a defense posture more credible than what the IRP is supposed to.)
Pag-asa Island
Based on his own utterances, it appears that President Noynoy Aquino has already made up his mind to have the Increased Rotational Presence (IRP) of US forces in the country even before the “devil in the details”, his words, has been sorted out.
Bad strategy but that’s water under the bridge. I only hope Noynoy has the balls to stand up to the Americans to make sure that, in his words, “the principles that we want to uphold are clear…”
Those “principles”, in my view, are the following:
1) The agreement should be embodied in a separate treaty ratified by both parties as prescribed by our Constitution, not in a mere executive agreement;
2) Rental of $2 to $3 billion annually, in cash, for using our military bases and for putting up military facilities here;
3) Immediate settlement of what is rightfully due to all our WWII veterans commissioned by the US government;
4) The agreement must be for a maximum of five years only, with either party having the right to terminate it before the end of that period;
5) Everything that is brought in by the US and still in place at the expiration of the agreement must be left behind and become ours, just as they did in Iraq and will be doing in Afghanistan;
6) No nuclear weapons or materiel should be brought into the country (no more of that “neither confirm nor deny” bullshit);
7) Clean up their toxic wastes when they leave; and
8) Equal access to places where US troops and facilities will be located.
On No. 2 above, if the US could spend billions of dollars in countries like Egypt, Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan to deter the advance of Islamic extremists and the Al-Qaeda in those countries, why not in the Philippines to keep an aggressive China at bay?
The rental money should be used solely for the modernization of our armed forces that would eventually give us a defense posture more credible than what the IRP is supposed to.
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US Secretary of State John Kerry reaffirmed that the Senkaku islands (Diaoyu to the Chinese) in the East China Sea “falls under the security treaty that obliges the US to intervene on Japan’s behalf if it is attacked by another country.”
“That is the position of the United States with respect to those islands,” he said.”
In contrast, the US has already stated in no uncertain terms that she is “neutral” in the territorial disputes between China and the Philippines, an affirmation that she does not recognize our sovereignty over those areas in the South China Sea that are ours according to pertinent international laws and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
We should, therefore, be wary of US assurances that she would come to our aid if China were to take over those areas by force, notwithstanding the existence of a defense treaty between us. The treaty speaks only of attacks on the national territory of either party by an aggressor. In such an eventuality, all that the US will do is talk with the Chinese to cool it or bring the latter to the UN Security Council.
That is why Admiral Jonathan Greenert, US Navy operations chief, was hard put to reply when asked if the US will help us defend Pag-asa island (also claimed by China), a fifth class municipality of Palawan, if China seizes it.
“Of course we would help you and now I don’t know what that help would be (given) specifically, I mean we have an obligation because we have a treaty, but I don’t know in what capacity that help is,” he said.
Duh?!
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Meanwhile, Scot Marciel, a mid-level functionary at the US State Department reiterated last week in a news report that “the US remained a neutral player in the dispute but it was supportive of efforts to peacefully resolve the matter, including the push for a legally binding code of conduct in the South China Sea and legal remedies such as the Philippines’ arbitration case before the UNCLOS arbitral tribunal”.
That’s it?!
How about declaring something along the lines of Secretary Kerry’s statement on the Senkaku islands that Pag-Asa (and the other areas over which we have legitimate claim) “falls under the security treaty that obliges the US to intervene on the Philippines’ behalf if it is attacked by another country”?
That would be better and a lot more reassuring! But can, or will, the US do it? I think the answer is pretty clear… we are not as important to the US as Japan or even China! We are mere pawns in the game of chess that these big powers are playing.
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After taking to task General Herbert Carlisle, US air force commander in the Pacific, for criticizing Noynoy’s recent call for international support against China’s aggressive behavior in the West Philippine Sea, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said Carlisle was actually misquoted in the news report.
Gazmin said his undersecretary, Honorio Azcueta, relayed the information to him. Azcueta reportedly met Carlisle at a Singapore airshow.
My goodness, why did Gazmin have to make the statement? I’m sure Carlisle has a spokesman, or he could have simply requested the US Embassy here to make the statement.
Nautusan si Gazmin? Ano ba ‘yan?!
Incidentally, a little bird told me that Noynoy was told by the Americans they want his foreign secretary, Albert “Amboy” del Rosario, to remain in his post. This was amidst persistent rumors that Del Rosario was about to be replaced by a retired senator. What gives? Noynoy an Amboy? Nautusan din siya ng mga Kano?
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Chief presidential mouthpiece Sonny Coloma declared:
“We are committed to pursue and prosecute assailants of slain journalists so that we may obtain justice for those who were killed in the practice of their profession.”
When?
More than twenty journalists have been killed since Noynoy became president. Not one of the killings has been solved. And what about those murdered during the Arroyo regime, foremost among which are those killed, about 30 of them, in the Maguindanao massacre?
So, when? Pag-puti ng uwak?
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Reminders (for Noynoy):
1) Filing of charges against officials of the National Food Authority (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.
In an attempt to jar his memory and spur him to action, quoted hereunder is what Noynoy said about the anomaly in his first State of the Nation Address on 26 July 2010:
“Let us now move on to the funds of the National Food Authority (NFA).
In 2004: 117,000 metric tons (of rice) was the shortage in the supply of the Philippines. What they (the government) bought were 900,000 metric tons. Even if you multiply for more than seven times the amount of shortage, they still bought more than what was needed.
“In 2007: 589,000 metric tons was the shortage in the supply of the Philippines. What they bought were 1.827 million metric tons. Even if you multiply for more than three times the amount of shortage, they again bought more than what was needed.
“What hurts is, because they keep purchasing more than what they need year after year, the excess rice that had to be stored in warehouses ended up rotting, just like what happened in 2008.
“Is this not a crime, letting rice rot, despite the fact that there are 4 million Filipinos who do not eat three times a day?
“The result is NFA’s current debt of 177 billion pesos. (The Inquirer recently quoted former NFA Administrator Angelito Banayo, a Noynoy appointee, as saying that (the present) government importation of rice is causing billions of pesos in losses. “We are going to be deep in debt,” Banayo said in his statement. The Inquirer further reported: “He (Banayo) said that by the time President Aquino steps down in 2016, the government could be in debt to the tune of at least P190 billion because of rice importation without private sector participation.”)
“This money that was wasted could have funded the following:
- The budget of the entire judiciary, which is at 12.7 billion pesos this year.
- The Conditional Cash Transfers for the following year, which cost 29.6 billion pesos.
- All the classrooms that our country needs, which cost 130 billion pesos.
“This way of doing things is revolting. Money was there only to be wasted.”
So, how come, Mr. President, you have not done anything about this in the last three and a half years?! And to make things worse, the corruption in the NFA today appears to be even worse than during the Arroyo regime. Your bosses want to know!
2) Investigation of reported anomalies in the GSIS during the watch of Winston Garcia and ordering his successor, Robert “Pretty Boy” Vergara, to file the proper charges, if warranted, against the former.
Noynoy should also order Vergara to report to him on COA’s findings that:
(a) He received the obscenely excessive compensation of P16.36 million in 2012 making him the highest paid government servant then (how much did he get in 2013?) and;
(b) That, as of seven or eight months ago, at least P4.13 billion in contributions and loan payments made by 12 government offices to the GSIS had not been credited to the offices as of Dec. 31, 2011.
COA also said at the time that the amount of unrecorded remittances could go much higher because only 36 agencies have so far responded out of the 186 that were sent confirmation requests by government auditors. Of the 36, 27 confirmed “discrepancies” in their premium and loan payments ledgers when compared with those of the GSIS.
There are three questions being raised when remittances, or parts thereof, of government agencies are not recorded by the GSIS on time: a) Where are these huge sums “parked” in the meantime?; b) Do they earn interest?; and c) To where (whom?) does the interest, if any, go?
Pray tell, Mr. Vergara, what is the present status of these funds, including those that may have been remitted since and not yet recorded by the GSIS?
3) Facilitating the investigation of rampant corruption in the military and police establishments.
4) Resort to his immense presidential powers to expedite the resolution of the Ampatuan massacre case that is now on its fourth year.
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Today is the 275th day of the seventh year of Jonas Burgos’ disappearance
The Justice Department has dismissed the charges against several of those accused in Jonas’ disappearance. Cleared were former AFP chiefs of staff Hermogenes Esperon and Alexander Yano, ex-PNP chief Avelino Razon, retired Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino, Brig. Gen. Eduardo Ano and Lt. Col. Melquiades Feliciano. Only Maj. Harry Baliaga will be charged for arbitrary detention, murder and obstruction of justice on the disappearance of Jonas.
“Pwedeng kasuhan ang kamay ng krimen pero ang utak ay hindi?” rued Lorena Santos, daughter of a desaparecido like Jonas.
Mr. President, is this what you meant when you called for a “focused, dedicated and exhaustive” probe of what really happened to Jonas?
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From an internet friend:
A man is watching a game of golf on TV.
But he keeps switching channels to an X-rated movie featuring a lusty couple having sex.
“I don’t know whether to watch them or the game”, he says to his wife.
“For Heaven’s sake, watch them,” his wife says. “You already know how to play golf!”
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Email: ambaroarcilla@gmail.com
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