‘The last word’

In his speech before the graduates of the Philippine National Police Academy Lakandula Class of 2015, the president declared it was the last time he would be talking about the Mamasapano incident that took the lives of 44 Special Action Force members who were sent to arrest terrorists last Jan. 25. Unfortunately for the president, he will not have the last word because there will be many more people who will have more to say about the Mamasapano encounter.

Aquino appealed for understanding and asked the public to put themselves in his shoes, saying that though he may be president responsible for the welfare of a hundred million Filipinos, he is also human. As expected, reactions were mixed, with many asking why he did not have any word about the role of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front that was also involved in what has now been dubbed as the Mamasapano massacre, or why there was no explanation on why he allowed his close friend Alan Purisima to take part in the meetings regarding Operation Exodus despite the fact that Purisima was already suspended at the time.

More than ever, President Aquino should realize by now that critics and the public in general will always have something to say about his actions and everything he says because — to put it simply — a public office is always subject to criticism and public scrutiny. Besides, that’s democracy at work, which is what the 1986 EDSA revolution was all about. I do agree with the president however that people biased against him will never change, but he should remember that there are many who may criticize him or his actions because they love their country more than anyone else. And so my unsolicited advice to the president is to let it go and move forward. People may be deeply dissatisfied and angry about the whole Mamasapano incident and its tragic consequences, but it is also clear that there are more who resist and are unwilling to heed the calls for him to resign. In his last year in office, there are still many things the president can accomplish and focus on.

As my good friend Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said, Aquino’s last year can still prove to be a milestone for him especially with a lot of important upcoming international events. This year, we are hosting the 23rd APEC Summit with related side meetings covering the better part of the year leading up to the APEC leaders’ summit in November.

There is no argument that the Aquino administration has been successful in giving the Philippines a more positive image before the international business community when it comes to the economy. We can continue with the upward trajectory considering the positive outlooks and credit rating upgrades from international ratings agencies. After all, improving the economy and uplifting the lives of Filipinos through the straight path has always been Aquino’s mantra. This may yet be his final legacy — leaving the country in better economic shape.

As far as the Bangsamoro Basic Law is concerned, there is a big possibility that this will not be passed during his presidency, but no doubt, the peace talks should continue. This time the entire process should be more comprehensive and fair to all sides concerned to avoid perceptions that one party is being given too much favor or too many concessions to the detriment of the rest of stakeholders. His creation of a “peace summit” via a council of elders is definitely the right step given the stated intention to have such a group dissect the proposed Bangsamoro measure in a “calm and reasonable manner that will not incite hopelessness, [and] write a report that will be made public so everyone will understand and be better informed.”

However, giving the peace summit a deadline before the president’s sixth and last State of the Nation Address this July will only invite more suspicions. As it is, members of the Senate are already reacting at even the remotest possibility that their role as legislators might be usurped since they are the ones who have the task to review proposed bills. It seems to me Senator Grace Poe has the right perspective when she explained that the creation of the proposed council of elders whose prospective members include Cardinal Antonio Tagle, businessmen Howard Dee and Jaime Zobel de Ayala, and Bai Rohaniza Sumndad-Usman (a Maranao royal and founder of Teach Peace, Build Peace movement) could help enlighten Filipinos regarding the provisions and goals of the BBL. However, the proposed legislation must first pass through the scrutiny of Congress for the drafting of a constitutional version. 

Obviously, the report submitted by the MILF regarding their role in the Mamasapano encounter has only enraged Filipinos even more, and Senator Poe’s firm assertion that the SAF 44 were murdered earned for her the firm support and admiration of many Filipinos. Poe, who headed the Senate inquiries regarding Operation Exodus and drafted the Senate report that found the president “ultimately responsible,” has reportedly lost any chance of being endorsed by the Liberal Party according to Senator Sonny Trillanes for coming out with a report that “hurt” the president. However, Trillanes’ “revelation” only served to enhance Poe’s image with the public, who admire her for standing pat on the Senate report regardless of who gets hurt as long as it is the right thing to do.

Allowing one to see the situation from a better perspective and taking the next step towards the right direction is what the president should do. Confucius says, “one step backward, two steps forward” — and that should be the last word.

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