A strong President and a strong Republic

At this stage, it’s all words. But it can become a reality. The key is the President herself. After strong words, will she go back to crafty, sneaky or weak-kneed double-dealing?

Will she, for instance, cave in to the pressures of noisy groups plus a great deal of media nagging, all trying to influence her choice of the next Secretary of Foreign Affairs?

In the past, when this writer privately criticized someone she had chosen for a Cabinet post, or to head an important bureau or division, one of her replies was that she hadn’t known that individual before, but the appointee had been chosen by her government Search Committee. Stop falling back on that "Search Committee" ploy, Mrs. President. You must choose based on your own personal knowledge or "vetting" of the nominee and that person’s background and track record. Passing the buck doesn’t make for a "strong" President.

Much is being made in the media of the Chief Executive’s cute phrase in the SONA that she "can’t grow taller" but she can "get better". Okay, that was a felicitous turn of phrase. The important word is "better". Then she’ll be ten feet tall.

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I believe in a strong President, but on condition that such a Chief Executive uses her powers for the welfare of the nation. If she does, she need not worry about reelection. If she doesn’t, then she’ll have to attempt to win by cheating. Which course does GMA wish to take?

As for the opposition, I believe it’s time our Senators and Honorable Members of the House of Representatives grew up, learned to work with each other and stopped bickering over the spoils and committee chairmanships. Perhaps this is too much to ask, but who knows? Someday our politicians may realize that our people’s good, our nation’s survival and progress all depend on how each of them behaves in good conscience. Then we’ll not merely have a just society and a strong republic, but a happy people.

Senator Ed Angara can’t be blamed for his disappointment in some of his fellow senators. But what the heck. It’s no use accusing Malacañang of "raiding" the opposition and "pirating" its members. That’s politics. The only way to preserve the Senate’s independence, as a co-existent and co-equal body to the Palace and Executive Branch, is for each senator to be firm and independent. The bromide about no chain being stronger than its weakest link applies here. If senators can be so easily "persuaded", seduced, did I hear "bribed"? or influenced to jump ship, how can the Senate claim independence? Indeed, the now-indignant stalwarts of opposition don’t look any better than the pro-Administration "renewed majority".

Scratch almost any solon, whether belonging to the opposition or the majority – and you’ll find a balimbing.

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Speaking of the war against criminality in her State of the Nation Address, the President reminded us that the nation has seen how her administration exhibited political will in fighting illegal gambling. Seven police generals, GMA said, were ordered relieved by the National Police Commission for failing to stamp out jueteng and masiao in their areas of jurisdiction.

What she didn’t mention was that as she spoke, one of the "relieved" generals was outside, directing thousands of policemen in preventing protesters and riotous demonstrators from breaking through to the Batasang Pambansa. This was Police Chief Superintendent (General) Edgardo "Egay" Aglipay. If he had been "relieved", how come he was still in command of the National Capital Region (NCR) police forces?

This writer, for one, was among the first to question why Aglipay was included in the list of those to be dunned for failure in curbing illegal-gambling in his areas of responsibility. He is well-known to be a straight shooter. On the other hand, I still strongly support the decision to crack down by Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina and the NAPOLCOM.

Aglipay once more proved his mettle by preventing the mass actions outside, which had been infiltrated by violent agitators and rock-throwers, from deteriorating into a riot. He did so by ordering his men to charge the troublemakers with night-sticks and truncheons. Naturally, Leftist and other radical groups are now charging the police with brutality and violations of human rights. They decry President GMA’s "threat" to make hers a "strong government". They cry out that she’s a dictator, an American puppet, and worse than her predecessor, ex-President Estrada. (Incidentally, the pro-Erap rallyists were better behaved and more peace-abiding, even if no less enthusiastic.)

General Aglipay is, of course, currently the target of the most venom and bile. His "crime"? His policemen stood firm before the mob. Now that he’s performed his difficult duty by bravely "handling" last Monday’s confrontation, I trust that he and his cops will be tasked to return to the streets to protect our citizens from akyat-bahay gangsters, kidnappers, killers and rapists, with the same zeal with which they defended GMA and her SONA.

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I’m not surprised that "former" rebels from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) came out in force yesterday to declare their support for Nur Misuari, their imprisoned former leader and ex-governor of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. The so-called "commanders" of scores of what they themselves styled "state" and "regional" units of the MNLF demanded Misuari’s immediate release and accused GMA of lying in her SONA about the "peace process".

There is no "peace", the MNLF spokesman angrily declared. Of course, there is none. That phoney-baloney "peace agreement" forged by the Ramos administration in 1996 with rebel Chieftain Misuari and his MNLF insurgents did not require them to surrender their arms. In fact the government gave the "ex-MNLF" insurgents more weapons when it incorporated thousands of them into the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces. It gave Misuari control of the ARMM provinces and a hefty "development" budget of billions of pesos.

As for this latest MNLF brag about returning to war, sanamagan — did they ever stop fighting the government? Last November 19, the MNLF launched a treacherous and unprovoked attack on government detachments in Sulu. Despite the element of surprise, these MNLF attackers lost the battle and were routed decisively. Then, on November 27, MNLF cadres "camped" in Zambongan staged another treacherous "uprising", seizing more than a hundred civilians – men, women and children – as hostages. After a day and a half of terrorizing Zamboanga City, holing up finally in Pasonanca, those MNLF cadres were "convinced" by appeasement-minded government negotiators to release their hostages, in exchange for being permitted to be trucked away with their firearms intact cheering and jeering as they sped off.

What about our Scout Rangers and Marines bludgeoned to death by mobs or gunned down in market places?

What kind of "peace" is this?

As long as so-called "former rebels" have high-powered weapons in their hands, and remain free to swagger around with them, bullying peaceful folk, whether Christian or Muslim, we cannot claim that a "peace agreement" was ever in place. It was a sham. And both Misuari (now in jail, facing trial) and his MNLF bravos profited immensely from it. Now, they’re threatening to return to war? The truth is, they never gave up that "war".

The Russians have an old proverb: "Eternal peace lasts only until next year." That’s how long the infernal peace with the MNLF lasted.