The truth hurts

As a general rule, diplomats should just be seen and not heard like former Japanese Ambassador "Sleepless in Manila" Takano and most especially if they are American diplomats like Charge d’Affaires Joe Mussomeli. Filipinos are particularly sensitive to Americans because no matter how much we try to deny our past they were at one time our colonial masters for almost 50 years. Even today, they continue to have a strong influence on our daily lives. Maybe because of what Joe Mussomeli had said last year after GMA’s SONA on the Philippine pullout in Iraq that rubbed GMA the wrong way and put him in Malacanang’s radar "sensitivity" screen. I talked to Joe the other night and he explained to me on what he actually said. According to him what he said was that he personally believed Mindanao runs the risk of becoming an Afghanistan in the long-term if the government does not focus enough on the lawlessness and threats that occur regularly there. He was emphatic in pointing out that he was quoted out of context.

Joe Mussomeli was in the Philippines as a Political Counselor from 1983 to 1986. The irony is – he had grown to love this country then and had asked to be granted a second tour of duty here. Perhaps, because of his frustration with the way things are, he said what he said. Unfortunately for him, he is not a Filipino. Worse, he is an American, whose slightest utterances tend to heighten our sensitivity. As many would point out - a love-hate relationship with the United States.The truth of the matter is things are not really well in Mindanao. The peace talks have not proceeded in the direction that the Americans want it to – a major concern for them and particularly because it is home to armed groups such as the Abu Sayyaf Gang (ASG), the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and even the MNLF. These three groups have caused this country so much anguish for decades. Needless to say, they have pummeled the country with so much bad publicity the world over. The peace and order situation in Mindanao continues to put this country on the terrorists watch list. We have a "terrorist-haven" image in many parts of the world where people know nothing of our geography.It is very Filipino to neither want to hear nor be told about the hard and bitter truth. All the travel advisories issued about the situation in the Philippines are all based on the on-the-ground information gathered by the different political operatives of the various countries represented here mainly to warn and protect their citizens. Osama bin Laden’s brother in-law – Mohammad Jammal Khalifa – reportedly traveled in and out of Mindanao in 1988 to recruit fighters for the Afghanistan war and then again in 1991 to establish al-Qaeda links in the Philippines. He used his organization to channel funds to the ASG for arms and training. International terrorist Ramzi Yussuf came in through his Mindanao network and planned to make the Philippines his staging ground for an attempt to bomb the World Trade Center in 1993. An accidental explosion in his Manila apartment led to the discovery of a plot to carry out terrorist activities, including the assassination of Pope John Paul II during his 1995 visit to the country.Of course, the Abu Sayyaf kidnappings in Sipadan, Malaysia in April 2000 and the Dos Palmas Resort in May 2001 made them notorious. The kidnapping of missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham are still fresh in the American psyche. The ASG was responsible for the Philippines’ infamy and up to now we’re still paying for those crimes. In fact, every time that I go to the US the first and only question asked is: "How is the security in the Philippines?" Unfortunately, the whole country is simply equated with the situation in Mindanao.This despite the fact that the US continues to provide economic and military aid to the Philippines. In fact, both countries have jointly embarked on a Philippine Defense Reform Program (PDRP). Another tie that binds is the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), which can be invoked in the eventuality of a foreign invasion. The US is just about the only country that has shown any significant interest in the Philippines nowadays because of their own fight against terrorism and obviously to protect their own interests. We have asked the US for help many times in the past particularly in decimating the Abu Sayyaf and the eventual rescue of Gracia Burnham. The painful truth is if we want to be an independent nation we have to wean ourselves from the US economic umbilical cord and be strong enough to take care of our own security. The question is – do we have the wherewithal to do so?As history has shown itself, the US is a country that will protect its interests with all it’s power and might – most especially after 9/11. If things don’t go the way they want, then they may just come in and take charge with their can-do attitude and military power. Just like they did in Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and now most especially in the Philippines where the adverse developments could pose a strategic security threat to them. And if, indeed, the Philippines becomes a breeding ground of terrorists, they will not hesitate to go in and clean it up themselves. Whether we like it or not, that is a fact of life.The second reality is their people on the ground – specifically the intelligence operatives and the diplomats – are Washington’s main line of information. These reports and assessments are usually taken into serious account in developing the overall strategy in dealing with the government of the host country. Even if our relationship with Washington, D.C. has improved after the Angelo de la Cruz caper - you can be sure Donald Rumsfeld and Condoleeza Rice have not forgotten it.One will recall that after August of 1983, Washington started to bear down on Ferdinand Marcos for reforms and credible elections. Marcos miscalculated and totally ignored the people on the ground – particularly the US Embassy (By the way, it’s just a coincidence Mussomeli was also here at that time – or was it really a coincidence?) – thinking that his close links with Reagan would make him immune to the growing pressure.

Ultimately, the recommendation of the State Department carried more weight forcing Reagan to send Sen. Paul Laxalt and tell Marcos that he had to "cut and cut cleanly." He was literally airlifted by the Americans to Hawaii and kept there until he died on Sept. 28, 1989. For so long as the United States wields influence over the Philippines, particularly because of the economic ties and considerable military relationship, you can be sure there will be many more "comments and suggestions" from our so-called "close ally" now and in the future. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on the way one looks at it - that’s just the way it is.

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