A serious failure of intelligence

I was abroad when I first heard of the kidnapping at Dos Palmas. I couldn't believe it. I thought there was something wrong with the story. I couldn't imagine how the Abu Sayyaf could have gone as far as Puerto Princesa without the military intelligence people learning about it. Maybe, I thought, Dos Palmas was somewhere in Southern Palawan near Sabah. But there it was, just an hour away from Puerto Princesa.

There is no other way of seeing that unfortunate incident. It was plain and simple failure of intelligence. As far as I know, the Abu Sayyaf is the country's principal peace and order risk. As such and despite the recovery of the American hostage Jeffrey Schilling, our military and police intelligence operatives should have continued, if not intensified their surveillance of the group.

But they failed and miserably so. That failure has serious repercussions for our floundering economy as well as for our sense of security. I don't know how much money in intelligence funds they have, but I imagine it is more than adequate. Malacañang also later on authorized the release of P100 million for information leading to the whereabouts of the Abu Sayyaf and their hostages. That seems to me, too much money too late.

There are so many horror stories we hear in the course of covering the day's news, about how intelligence funds are used to build palatial houses for generals. But that is not the point. Corruption is par for the course in this country. However, even the most corrupt public works contractor delivers something. The failure of both the police and the military to get wind of the Dos Palmas raid is a big blotch on the record of our armed services. Those responsible should shave their heads in shame.

This is one time when inefficiency and, possibly, corruption have resulted to deaths and injury. I have no doubt that the young PMA graduate and the enlisted men who have died in Basilan following the Palawan abduction are true heroes of the Republic. But we and their loved ones shouldn't have lost them at all if police and military intelligence were any good. We have a term for it back in my police beat days, natutulog sa pansitan. This is something the Ombudsman and the congressional budget committees should look at.

I know that the standard joke hereabouts is that the term military intelligence is an oxymoron, meaning, it is a contradiction, there could be no such thing. But seriously, the best field commanders are useless without good intelligence. Maybe it is time to make our intelligence officers accountable. They have been notorious for cases of human rights violations but are unable to deliver when the lives of our brave officers and men in the field depend on them.

Just think about it again. The distance between Basilan and Puerto Prinsesa is significant; I understand from the accounts of ex-hostages that they were in the open sea for at least 11 hours. Yet, the Abu Sayyaf managed the expedition without encountering the military at all. Isn't that incredibly ridiculous?

This is a job for NSA Roilo Golez. I wait to hear Roy's explanation, one that Roy himself believes in, given his experience in the Navy. The gallantry of our military forces in the field is wasted unless we have first class intelligence. It also isn't good for a whole nation to feel so totally insecure about its safety. It's bad for business. It's bad for our nerves.

SEC forms

We received an e-mail from SEC Chairman Lilia Bautista about the matter of blank forms being sold to facilitate SEC registration. She is one responsive public official. Here is how she explained that one.

"Sometime ago we posted in our ground floor the notice which informs the public about our express lane forms and who to see if they have complaints. It was in response to a report that there are people who approach our clients and offer to facilitate their registration at outrageous prices.

"When I read your column of May 25 about blank registration forms being sold at outrageous prices, I surmised that you would not be referring to the forms of articles of incorporation and by laws that are sold for not more than P500. These form were devised to assist those who cannot hire lawyers to prepare their papers for them. The services of a lawyer would certainly cost more than P500. If an applicant pays more than that that indicated in our notice, then he should report the matter to us.

"When I first assumed my post, I was informed that these standardized forms were adopted to facilitate early processing and release of applications. The applicant only has to fill up the blanks and the processors need not bother to read these articles and by-laws line by line. Due to the expeditious processing in our express lane, I understand that SEC garnered awards from the National Productivity Commission and the Office of the President.

"As to the legal basis for charging for these forms, the Commission on Audit has authorized the SEC Cooperative Union to print and sell them since we cannot finance the printing of these voluminous forms. I would hope that with your article today, people who have paid outrageous prices for these forms will come forward and point at the culprits."

Bad air

Here is something that should encourage MMDA Chief Ben Abalos to go all out against polluting buses in Metro Manila streets. According to the CNN website, there’s now evidence that as pollution increases, so do your chances of a heart attack. The American Heart Association journal Circulation reports that "within just two hours of breathing in fine particles from a city’s bad air – caused by vehicle exhaust and smokestacks, among other factors – the risk of a heart attack increased 44 percent. A full day after exposure, heart attacks increased overall by one-third." Researchers also told Reuters that because they’re so small, the particles can bypass the body’s normal defense mechanisms and go deep into air sacs in the lungs, triggering an inflammatory response.

Researchers, according to CNN, warn that "while the conditions may not pose a big threat to young, healthy people, those who are at high risk for heart disease should avoid spending a lot of time outdoors on those hot, humid, hazy days." And when indoors, people should try to keep the bad air out by using air conditioning and making sure air filters are clean.

Air quality is a life and death issue for us. Government alone can't do much without everyone's support. Maybe government should start arresting and fining people to show it means business. Our lives depend on it.

Funeral rites

Dr. Ernie E amuses us with something about doctors's funerals.

A cardiologist died and at his funeral the coffin was placed in front of a huge mock-up of a heart made up of flowers. When the pastor finished with the sermon and eulogy, and after everyone said their good-byes, the heart opened, the coffin rolled inside and the heart closed.

Just then one of the mourners burst into laughter.

The guy next to him asked: "Why are you laughing?"

"I was thinking about my own funeral," the man replied. "What’s so funny about that?"

"I’m a gynecologist."

(Boo Chanco's e-mail address is [email protected])