It looks like the new U.S. ambassador, Kristie Kenney, has a good grasp of the root of the crisis hounding Gloria Arroyo.
In her statement before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for her confirmation last January, she said: “Our bilateral relationship with the Philippines is based on a deep affection between our peoples and shared democratic values. We each have the goal of making our democracies strong and stable so that every citizen’s vote has meaning.”
She got it right. She should be able understand why those who are pursuing the truth about the alleged rigging of the 2004 elections won’t stop despite water cannons, warrantless arrests, CPR, EO 464, and Proclamation 1017.
Before her Manila assignment, Kenney was ambassador to Ecuador. She has also served at overseas posts in Geneva, Argentina and Jamaica, and held senior positions at the State Department and the National Security Council in Washington.
She presents her credentials in Malacañang today against the backdrop of reduced assistance to the Philippines which is seen as an indication of the Bush administration’s waning support for Gloria Arroyo.
The Manila Mail DC Online has a news item that says: “President George W. Bush has slashed American economic and military assistance to the Philippines from $87.8 million in 2006 to $83 million in fiscal year 2007, or a slash of $6 million.”
There must be an error in the computation because $87.8 million minus $83 million is $4.8 million. Anyway, it is still a decrease.
The on-line newspaper further said: “In his budget proposal submitted to Congress last month, the US President reduced funding for the various assistance programs to the Arroyo government by six percent.
“The bulk of the cut will be made on the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) from $20 million this year to $17.6 million next year, or a reduction of more than $2 million.
“In contrast, military and economic aid to Indonesia and other Asian countries have been increased instead of reduced.
“Another big slice was made on Development Assistance, from $21.5 this year to $19.6 million next year, or a reduction of nearly $2 million.
“In 2005, a year after the withdrawal of the small Philippine contingent from Iraq by President Arroyo, US aid to the Philippines was reduced by 30 percent, from $125.6 million to $87.6 million, or a reduction of $37.8 million.
“In the current budget of Mr. Bush, the Economic Support Funds (ESF) and International Military Education and Training (IMET) remained the same as that of last year of $20 million and $2.9 million, respectively. Slight reductions were made in the Child Survival & Health Funds, from $21.4 million to $21 million.”
Last week, BrooksBowerAsia, a top advisory firm for multinational companies in the United States, told a group of mediamen that they find the political situation in the Philippines “alarming”.
Unlike in Thailand, where the monarchy provides a stabilizing force, the US is worried that the political crisis in the Philippines could turn violent. A source who was in the meeting said, “The assessment on the Philippines that I got was that they find the situation in Manila much more volatile than in Thailand. They feel that Arroyo has nowhere to go. She is finished but they expect her to dig in. That’s why they are alarmed because things could get bloody.”
The source said they asked Ernie Bower, former president of the US-Asean Business Council, and a partner of BrooksBowerAsia, what advice he would give Arroyo if he were asked. Quoting Bower, the source said, “She has to take care of her legacy and how she will be remembered in history.”
That’s another way of saying, “Cut and cut clean” – the very memorable advice that US Sen. Paul Laxalt told the beleaguered Ferdinand Marcos prior to the latter’s downfall.
Ellen,
When State Dept Undersecretary Hill went to Manila at the height of Gloria’s declarration of emergency, he was categorical. He told Gloria in no uncertain terms that America cannot ally itself with a country which is not democratic or one that does not respect human rights. Furthermore, Hill’s words in spite of the diplomatic cloak was that the US recommend for Gloria to re-consider her position on the SOE.
The new US ambassador is merely reiterating Washington’s position: the US will not tolerate any deviation. Gloria is in a very, very precarious situation. Spending for lobby groups to promote her, yes, HER interests will not do her much good.
America is starting to blink. When the US blinked in mid 2000, Estrada’s days were numbered. The leaders of the anti-Arroyo forces that gathered at Edsa had the “approval” of the US to go ahead, i.e., US will not interfere.
America’s position under Bush will not be different. If he believes that Gloria’s poor and restive governance is proving bad for American “business” and various political interests in the region (geopolitically), Bush only has to sneeze and Gloria will be kicked out.
While I believe that Gloria must be kicked out and kicked out unceremoniously, I wouldn’t like America to interfere. They must leave the Philippines alone. Our nation and its people must solve this problem without any NUDGING from the US. In the end, America must realize that by allowing us to decide how to kick out Gloria on our own, will be good in the short, mid and long term for American geopolitical business and interests in the region (control of sea lanes of communication and all the rest of the crtap). By allowing us to do it in the manner that is most democratic but in our own good time and in our good way, we shall be better partners for America.
This message must reach America via Ambassador Kirstie Kenney.
Let’s show America that our people are educated, are mature and are democratic. It’s the only way to avoid another a national political disaster.
The United States is one of largest foreign investor and she must protect its interests in the Philippines. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Manila Bureau knows the real score of corrupt and bogus President Gloria Arroyo. The U.S. State Department is watching the Philippines political crisis. They want a stable government and a trusted partner war on terrorism. Economic, military and political reforms are stalled because she is focused for political survival. Officially, the United States cannot directly interfere our internal affairs, however can use “gunboat diplomacy” to tame stubborn (kapit-tuko) Gloria Arroyo. The Reagan administration tried this “formula” during the last days of Marcos Dictatorship. The questionable Arroyo mandate can be resolve by her resignation and Vice-President Noli De Castro. The people will decide their new leaders in a snap election. I believe that Washington, D.C. may have the influence the sudden lifting of 7-day state of national emergency. The U.S. government knows there’s no coup plot to topple her discredited regime.
Mrs. Gloria Arroyo wants to project herself tough on global war on terrorism. IN FACT, she is the weakest link in U.S.-led global war on terrorism. Poor intelligence network and lack of anti-terror legislation makes authorities helpless to subdue home-grown terrorists. Mrs. Arroyo yielded to militants’ demands and abruptly pulled out the country’s 51-man contingent serving with U.S.-led occupation forces in Iraq. Manila negotiators also paid ransom to Muslim radicals for the release of Filipino hostage Angelo de la Cruz. The move angered the US government and its anti-terror allies.
There are several Philippine-based terrorists listed in the U.S. State Department: The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Abu Sayyaf with links with Al Qaeda and Southeast Asia and Islamic fundamentalist group Jemaah Islamiah and Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, a Pakistani terrorist convicted of masterminding and helping to carry out the deadly 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the December 1994 bombing of a Philippines Airline flight killed a Japanese passenger had a connection with Mindanao Muslim radicals. Yousef was captured in February 1995 in Pakistan, where he had fled after a fire in a Manila apartment attracted police to a computer containing details of his plots. The CPP-New Peoples’ Army intensified its attacks in remote police and military outpost as a show of force to a divided and politicalized military. Corruption and favoritism in promotions angered idealists’ junior officers. An ill-equipped, lack of manpower and demoralized soldiers cannot fight effectively. The Philippines is dependent on U.S. military aid. A cut in military may weaken the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) capabilities to fight home-bred terrorism.
On the geo-political stage China and United States are seen as rivals. Why Gloria Arroyo playing China card? The Bush administration is not happy with Arroyo’s policy shift to China. Chinese influence in the Philippines had expanded during the term of Mrs. Arroyo. Military and economic assistance may have grown significantly. People’s Republic of China financed the rebuilding of Manila North Rail project and donated Chinese-made dump trucks, bulldozers and road graders to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The Arroyo government signed bilateral defense cooperation with China. The Chinese built a military-spying outpost in Kalayaan Islands. The 40-odd Spratly Islands are claimed wholly or in part by six governments: China, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The United States, Japan and Taiwan wants to protect vital South China Sea shipping lanes. Mrs. Arroyo is playing dangerous game. The Philippines can be caught in crossfire if hostilities erupt between U.S. and China. God save the Philippines!
Speaking of Chinese influence, pati movies na-penetrate na nila. Pati smuggler puro Chinese … mga Big-Time Banker mga Chinese. Pati nga ang pinakamataas na General ng military natin ay Singkit din. Senga di ba? Bakit nga kaya??? Di kaya si Unano ay SI-AY-EY ng mga singkit???
Pati nga yong Police General na ang pangalan ay Lo Mi Bao o di ba kamukha niya si Apeng? Baka Singkit din siya. Eto pa isa si General Que Rol. Di ba pati si Unano mukhang Singkit din boses bakla nga lang. God save us from this fake President and her Gang of thieves.
Ellen,
I am not a proponent of Philippine partitioning but with your permission, may I plug in the following because I believe the issue is worthy of a real honest to goodness public debate:
THE SOUTHEAST ASIA FORUM AT THE WALTER H. SHORENSTEIN ASIA-PACIFIC RESEARCH CENTER
10th Seminar, 2005-2006 Academic Year
Thursday, 13 April, 12:00 pm-1:30 pm
Philippines Conference Room
Encina Hall, Third Floor
616 Serra Street, Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Partitioning the Philippines: Is It Desirable? Is It Realistic? A Scholarly Conversation
David C. Martinez, Author, activist, and independent scholar
and
Lela Noble, Professor of Political Science (Emerita), San Jose State University
Poverty, inequality, and corruption plague the Philippines six decades after independence. Of the past five presidents, only one took office and left it without military intervention, and he was a general. In his controversial book, A Country of Our Own (2004), David Martinez describes the Philippines as a failed state. The country in his eyes comprises five regions: Cordillera, Luzon, The Visayas, Mindanao, and Bangsamoro. He proposes holding legally binding referenda in each of these regions to determine whether those who live there wish to remain inside the Philippines or form their own independent country. In a conversation moderated by Stanford’s Don Emmerson, Martinez and the Filipinist scholar Lela Noble will examine arguments and evidence relevant to a crucial question: Is the nation-state project still valid for the Philippines?
David C. Martinez was born in the Philippines. At law school in Silliman University he was a medal-winning debater. He became an activist lawyer, was briefly detained when then-President Marcos declared martial law, fled the Philippines, and eventually reached the US, where he now resides. His essays have appeared in the Philippines Free Press among other publications, and he is a prize-winning author of fiction and poetry as well.
Lela Noble has written extensively on the Philippines. Her authored or edited books include Organizing for Democracy: NGOs, Civil Society, and the Philippine State (1998); Philippine Policy toward Sabah: A Claim to Independence (1977), and her articles have appeared in such journals as Asian Survey and Solidarity. From 1996 to 2002, she was dean of the College of Social Sciences at San Jose State. Her PhD is from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
_____
Well, although it’s late I welcome Washington’s realization of gloria’s cheating, stealing, and lying. It should have been after gloria was installed to presidency by Hilarious Davide. There was no legitimacy then and up to now. I wish Joe de V will make confession now how in heaven he declared the pandak as president in 2004 during the time the Filipino people were asleep. God is working now against satanic forces in malacanang. God, let the truth come out now to set the Philippines and its people FREE. Bless Erap in Sandigan Bayan for his testimony. This I ask thru Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
I also don’t agree with the idea of partitioning the Philippines. But this is a democracy. Let everybody be heard.
So what will be Gloria’s legacy? Gloriagate, Garci Tapes, Lapse in judgement? Or a strong president who’s not afraid to use the powers given and not given her (EO464, PP1017, CPR)?
22 March 2006
GLoria’s legacy will be, its alright to lie, steal and cheat as long as you can stomach to say “I AM SORRY”, hehehehehehehehehehehehehe so stupid.
jinx
“She has to take care of her legacy and how she will be remembered in history.”
Somebody who’s focused on future wealth would never care for history.
My take on this is different. I doubt if Bush would directly or indirectly “withdraw” its support for Gloria. The idea of a post-GMA “transition council” composed of groups whose interests are clearly anti-American will not sit well with him.
I agree that it would be better for the U.S. to stay out of the picture. But this is politically impossible though with America known for its unseen hand in the affairs of other countries.
The best thing to do for the mainstream oppostion (eg. Drilon, Cory, Escudero), if they want to solicit America’s support, is to assure the latter of an alternative that/who is not anti-American.
But don’t you worry folks, history already has a place for Gloria — she will fall down as Marcos did.
Those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it.
I AM IN FAVOR OF PARTITIONING THE PHILIPPINES!
Hindi naman habambuhay na watak watak ang bansa natin. Darating din ang panahon na magsasama-sama din ito.
Noong panahon bago pa maging PROC ang “China”(Modern China), mayroon din namang mga pwersa na gustong paghati-hatiin o paghiwa-hiwalayin ang bansang nabanggit.
Halimbawa: Ano ba ang 38th parallel at 17th parallel?Partition of Poland?Velvet Divorce?Durand Line at marami pang iba.
Isa pang magandang halimbawa ay itong, ‘Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovene’ – na naging FPRY(Federal Peoples Rep.) , at naging SFRY(Socialist) , Federal Republic of Yugoslavia hanggang sa maging Serbia-Montenegro(Crna Gora) na lang.
Sabi ng mga Balkan expert(daw), na itong nangyari sa “Greater Serbia” ideology ni Garasanin ay nauwi sa ‘Central Serbia’.
Magsilbing aral sana sa bansa natin ang nangyari sa mga taga “TIMOG Slav”.
Dalawang buwan mula ngayon (March 22), masasaksihan na naman natin kung papaano at anong klaseng “pagkakahinog” mayroon ang mga taga ‘Podgorica’. Kung ano ang pagkakaunawa nila sa salitang Nasyonalismo?
Sana mapagusapan sa Forum nila Mr.Martinez ang totoong nangyayari sa Pinas na “AFRICANIZATION”, nang hindi tayo mauwi sa “Ethiophia-Eritrea”
MAGANDA ANG LEGACY NI GMA! daw! ayon yan sa mga oligarkiya na tinulungan nya.
Kapag nagkawatak watak na ang Pilipinas, dito natin malalaman ngayon kung gaano talaga kamahal ng mga “OVERSEAS PINOY” at Pinoy diaspora ang kanilang bansa!
Tanong ko sa inyo, gaano nyo kamahal ang bansang Pilipinas?
Ano ba talaga? DaveMart Architecture or “Dorobo solution”?
GMA’s great leap forward ang polisiya na mangibang bayan na lang kesa dito na maghanap buhay sa sariling bansa.
Many Filipinos forget that Abe Lincoln was a Republican. The New Ambassador is a Lady Republican. They fought for women suffrage right after the Civil War was won for abolition. I bet the first woman US President will be black.
Pugak,
I will be very honest with you. I love the Philippines but I don’t like a lot of its people!
check out what’s happening in belarus, ellen. supportahan natin sila.
http://politicaljunkie.blogspot.com/2006/03/people-power-in-belarus-ongoing.html
On my part, there is only one option when GMA gets kicked out (HARD), and that is to reinstall Erap as the duly elected and genuine President of the Republic. I can see the signs now and this testimony of President Erap at the Sandiganbayan are starting to draw a clearer picture for Mrs. Arrovo. And that is for her to get out of Malacanyang together with her evil minions.
Anna:
Now is the time to move in our spheres. BBC for example has been airing repeatedly the Estrada trial on plunder that I consider a good sign. My friends at the US embassy who know of my activity have been bugging me for more information on this. I’ve providing them with editorials from Malaya and Tribune and columns by Ellen, Herman, Ninez, et al.
Our good friend in the Senate has cautioned us about the new edict by the criminal regarding ads of the nature that Narciso of LAX has suggested we do even to boost up the sagging morale of members of the AFP who still have some dignity, honor and gallantry left in them. It’s called “E.O. 511.”
Yuko,
From day 1, I didn’t believe and never will believe that ousting Erap in 2001 in the manner of a Congress-military-civilian-judicial coup d’état was ever the right thing to do.
The Gloria & Mike Arroyo-led CONSPIRACY to unseat a constitutionally mandated/universally elected president resulting in a the breaching of the Constitution which has now led to the “legalization” of a military mutiny, the interpretion that a mob rule led by Cardinal Sin and Cory Aquino was the moral thing to do is absolutely, morally, legally, constitutionally wrong.
Good and honest citizens of the Republic must continue to remind those who circumvented the Law, breached the Constitution and allowed sinister, greedy forces in 2001 to corrupt the society in totality this one truth: That the Erap presidency was far more respectful of the democratic processes provided for in the Philippine Constitution than all of the Gloria hypocritical government and supporters combined together.
They must admit that during the Erap presidency, he allowed the democratc processes to work even to his own personal and political detriment; that he, who people said was uneducated, uncouth, a mere actor had far greater respect for the Rule of Law than all of our so-called, moral, righteous, learned men and women in civil society could ever pretend to possess.
I am like Alan Paguia – never to compromise the Philippine Rule of Law! Particularly at a time – in 2000 and for 20 days in January 2001 during Estrada’s term – when it was WORKING
The setting of those horrible precedents of January 2001 by our biased, hypocritical so-called learned men and women has set our country backward. The proof is that the country is gearing towards a creeping anarchy.
Gloria & Mike Arroyo must be tried, and judge for their CONSPIRACY acts. Gloria and her political cronies including her husband must BE punished. They did the crime and must therefore accept to do the time!
Filipinos must muster their moral and physical courage to correct a national wrong so that the country may move forward.
Sabi ni Erap na yong tip nga na $14 million na ino-offer ng broker ng Argentine company Industrias Metalurgicas Pescarmona Sociedad Anonima (IMPSA) para sa approval niya sa contrata ay tinanggihan niya … ang ibig sabihin niyan ay kinuha ng mga ARROYO yong pera na yon in exchange for GLORYA’s approval of the contract. Diyos namin patawarin mo po siya at hindi niya alam ang kanyang ginagawa.
Mali, Tedanz, alam ni Gloria ang ginagawa niya, at alam niyang hindi siya huhulihin ng pinsan niyang si Lomibao at mga binayaran niyang mga heneral kasama na iyong kamag-anak niyang nakaupo bilang hepe ng Korte Suprema at mga galamay nila doon. Abaw, saan ka nakakita, maliit ang balatong 5M pesos mula sa mga gambling lord kasama ni Manny Pacquiao! Heard it from the horse’s mouth. Balak nila kunyaring pumayag na gawing ilegal na ang jueteng pero papalitan noong bingo na small-scale lotto daw! Isa a mamamahala si Manny pero ang tagapasimuno ay iyong Fat Guy!
Kaya nakakangiti pa si Unano at tinatawanan lang ang mga nag-aalsa laban sa kaniya. Boluntaryo pa nga ang mga pulis dahil malaki pala ang overtime fee nila kapag humahalang sila sa mga nagmamartsa. Nag-uunahan pa nga ang mga pulis at mga sundalo ganoong dapat ay mga pulis lang ang ibinabalandra sa mga ganoong rally!
Kawawang Pilipinas!
Hehehe! Tedanz naman!
“awarin mo po siya at hindi niya alam ang kanyang ginagawa.”
Si Gloria hindi alam ang kanyang ginagawa? Hah! Konti ko nang sabihin na “tell that to the marines” pero huwag na lang…
Anyway, alam naman natin na si Sec Perez ang nag-pa execute nung IMPSA contract at si Escaler na nag ala Garci ang conduit nila.
If you put together the amount of money that Gloria, her husband, her children and her friends have made during the last 6 years, ay naku MAHIHIYA si Ferdinand dahil talagang nadaig siya ni Punggok!
The new US ambassador said: “We each have the goal of making our democracies strong and stable so that every citizen’s vote has meaning.”
That is quite a mouthful because that is precisely what we do not have: a democracy where every citizen’s vote has meaning.” 80 percent of Filipinos believe that GMA cheated in the last elections thereby robbing the them of the meaning of their votes. And she is getting away with it.
There is the left. There is the right. There is the center. And there is the fourth estate which they now call Philippine Media. But more than all of them there is the Pilipino PEOPLE. Each of the first four tries to decide what is best for the country, as if it is their prerogrative to do so without the tacit consent of the fifth. No way!
If our country has to move on, it must be all five UNITED as ONE. There is no other way. They must choose a leader who is acceptable to all five of them. ONE who can command loyalty to the cause of uplifting the country, whose heart beats for the people and whose hard decisions will be considered by the whole nation as their own, even mistakes, but most all, whose success will also be considered by the people as their own.
We have long been a divided nation and so we move in different directions. We are going around in circles and in the words of Santayana, repeating our mistakes, repeating history. ENOUGH! We are on the same boat and unless we pull our acts TOGETHER we sink!
Let the whole nation submit ONCE AND FOR ALL to a SNAP ELECTION and elect OUR PRESIDENT, everybody’s President. And let everybody guard the ballot and let the whole world e-watch and be witnesses to a clean and honest elections.
‘been to the BWM site at unti-unti na palang itinatarak ng mga galamay ni GMA through barangay levels ang kamandag ng cha-cha. Hanggang kailan maghihirap at lilinlangin ANG BAYAN KONG PILIPINAS ng mga palalo sa pamahalaan?
Hanggat hindi kumikilos tayong mga Pilipino ay patuloy na gagahasain ni gloria at ng asawa niya, pati ng kanyang mga alipores ang ating bansa. uubusin nila ang ating yaman, ang ating karapatan, habang pumapalkpak ang mga kamay at tenga ni Joe de V, habang patuloy na humihitit ng tabako si fidel. Mga virus sa lipunan. Dapat manguna sa people power o coup de’tat ay sina cory, guingona, drilon, pimentel, villar, isama na rin si loren, pati mga bishops at madre, sapagka’t sila ang may kagagawan kung tayo nasadlak sa ganitong kalagayan. Eh kaso ang sabi ni cory, “matanda na ako para sumama sa people power, i am 73 now”. Eh ano kung matanda na siya??? Dapat lang i-correct nila ang kanilang mga pagkakamali. Nasaan na iyong mga students ng mg aprivate church-based schools na ginamit nila nuong 2001. Mga elitistang coeds (kuno). Hindi pala nila alam ang tunay ng demokrasya. Kadiri sila to the bones!!!. yakkss!!! Saka iyong mga madre na nagpunta nuon sa EDSA, ngayon kayo mag-rosario, tawagan nyo ang sinasabi nyong Mama Mary na naghimala (kuno) sa EDSA, kaya napatalsik si Erap. Kung kasama nyo ang Diyos noong 2001 e di sana maganda ang lagay nating lahat ngayon??? E bakit, napasama tayo?…..kasi ginamit kayo ng demonyo!!! Tingnan nyo iyong rebulto nyo sa EDSA, kung tawagin nyo ay our lady of mediatrix?….pagmasdan mabuti ang hitsura….kakatakot!!! bakit wala siyang magawa ngayon ke gloria?? Buti nga sa mga taong nagkutsabahan na pag-papaalis ke Erap, magdusa kayo ngayon..pagbayaran nyo ang inyong mga kasalanan. si gloria magbabayad din iyan, pagkatapos nyo. O ano, me sasabihin kayo?……mga civil society kuno!!!!?????
The U.S. govt. knows what was and is going on in the Philippine govt. and as long as it feels it serve it’s own interests it will always have some nice words to say about how it would like other countries run like theirs. Corruptions, that’s ok as long as no SONE to scare away American investors. Screwed up Armed Forces, No problem as long as they have their cooperation with antiterrorism. The U.S. Could have done more, by citing the abuses of PNP strongly against the rights of a child, to demand the govt. to reform the Justice System from the Supreme Court down. I think it’s about time for uncle Sam to stop being Hypocrite and be Genuine about its desires for reform to its one and only former Colony.
Filipino first.