Erap to Noy: Not zero, but family-size love life
NO ZERO FOR ERAP: After President Noynoy Aquino likened his love life to Coca Cola — moving from “regular” to “light” to “zero” — former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada said one’s love life should not be zero, but family-size.
Speaking at the Manila Sampaloc Lions Club’s induction of officers last Saturday, Erap said, “I sincerely hope your new officers will serve with a deep sense of duty and an even higher sense of purpose and commitment. Pero huwag naman sobra-sobra. Baka makalimutan niyo na ang inyong love life at pamilya. Baka kayo matulad kay P-Noy, ang love life daw niya dati regular, naging light, ngayon zero na raw. Dapat para kayong si Erap, maging Coke man o Pepsi o kahit na Sarsi, ang love life ko, then and now, laging family-size. At ganito rin ang aking pagmamahal para sa ating mga kababayan, lalo na sa mahihirap.”
The former president is known to have sired children with different women, but that is not the reason why his camp followers call him “Ama ng Masang Pilipino.”
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MILF RUN-AROUND: On the search for elusive peace in Mindanao, Erap explained why he ordered during his time an all-out war against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a rebel group demanding that a separate Bangsamoro be carved out of MinSuPala.
Erap said he opted to fight the secessionists after at least six peace agreements were broken by them. “Pina-ikot-ikot lang ng MILF ang ating gobyerno,” he said. “Peace talks, ceasefire, negotiations, agreements, ceasefire, tapos bakbakan na naman. They were not negotiating in good faith.”
He recalled how the MILF broke agreements and continued with their terrorist acts: “In November 1999, the MILF launched heavy fighting in Central Mindanao and North Cotabato. In January 2000, the MILF took over the Talayan municipal hall in Maguindanao. The bombing of a ferry in Ozamiz City in February 2000 where 25 persons were killed was attributed to the MILF. On March 16, 2000, the MILF occupied the Kauswagan town hall. During this time the MILF also cordoned off the Narciso Ramos Highway to demand toll or ‘zakat’ from all passing vehicles.”
It was only after Erap himself personally went to Kauswagan to check the situation — and saw the remains of six children burned to death when the MILF razed a school building — that he ordered the armed forces to destroy the MILF.
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U.S. CONSPIRACY: The government has not been able to explain why the MILF holds its own territory and camps, flies its own flag, maintains its own armed forces, follows its own Shariah laws and madrasha curriculum, and has virtual relations with sympathetic countries.
Erap said it was his impression that then US Ambassador Kristie Kenney conspired with the Arroyo administration in pushing for the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain between the government and the MILF.
“This was evidenced by her advance presence in Kuala Lumpur for the anticipated signing of the MOA-AD had it pushed through,” he said. “She knew what was going to happen because she had the script.”
Erap recalled that US intervention in Mindanao is not new, recalling his own experience with the Americans during his administration:
“Some very powerful personalities tried to stop me (from pursuing the all-out war) ... even the president of the US at the time, President Bill Clinton, sent me a letter through then Defense Secretary William Cohen asking that hostilities be stopped.”
Despite US pressure, he pursued the military campaign. It was his controversial ouster in 2001 that stopped the war.
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NO SUB-STATE: Erap’s revelations jibe with a recent WikiLeaks report that “Washington had a direct hand in the ill-fated deal to create a Bangsamoro Juridical Entity in 2008 that critics warned could lead to a dismemberment of the Philippines.”
Erap said the MILF demand that a “sub-state” (opposed to an “enhanced” autonomous region proposed by the Aquino administration) be created for the Moro people is “just another twist on the MOA-AD which was fortunately rejected by the Supreme Court.”
He warned that government tolerance or, worse, fear of the separatist MILF will only lead to demands from even more breakaway factions in the future.
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MORO SPLINTERS: Erap recalled that as far back as the time of President Marcos, we forged the Tripoli Agreements with the MNLF of Nur Misuari that established the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. When this pact was concluded, a splinter group, the MILF, sprang up.
During the Arroyo administration, the rebels became so emboldened as to seek not only autonomy but an entirely independent juridical entity called a “Bangsamoro State.” Now the MILF wants a “sub-state” — a geopolitical entity that has all the elements of a nascent state.
“Now there is a budding organization called the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Front with a military arm called the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters,” Erap continued. “Will we allow our government to continue to face one breakaway faction after breakaway faction? Are we also to negotiate with the Abu Sayyaf and other terrorist groups?”
“The MILF is seeking independence in the guise of peace,” Erap pointed out.
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MANILA HELD HOSTAGE: Erap said: “Because the government cannot control the MILF, our country has lost so many opportunities to attract investments that could have brought economic activity and livelihood opportunities not only for Mindanao but for the entire country.
“The MILF has caused economic stagnation, if not regression. Tourists and investors are discouraged from coming to the Philippines, because of the travel advisories against the Philippines based on the bombings, kidnappings and other terrorist activities by MILF factions.
“Today, even our neighbors who used to look up to Manila with envy are ahead of us. The Philippines cannot move forward economically, because our government allows itself to be held hostage to the MILF.”
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FOLLOWUP: Access past POSTSCRIPTs at www.manilamail.com. Follow this columnist at Twitter. com/FDPascual. E-mail feedback to [email protected]
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