Target Philippines under Duterte

Yesterday I wrote about “The New Imperialism” and cited Stephen Kinzer, the author of Overthrow. He had personal experience within the human rights movement because he himself was a “human rights” advocate. He knew it from the inside.

From his life and writings, we can understand better what is happening to the Philippines today and why Duterte is a target for overthrow.

Stephen Kinzer has the background and experience to understand the threat to overthrow President Duterte because there is a pattern to it that follows what was done in other weaker countries by stronger countries.

He was an award-winning foreign correspondent who covered more than 50 countries on five continents. His articles and books have led the Washington Post to place him among the best in popular foreign policy storytelling.

Kinzer spent more than 20 years working for the New York Times, most of it as a foreign correspondent. His foreign postings placed him at the center of historic events and, at times, in the line of fire. From 1983 to 1989, Kinzer was the New York Times bureau chief in Nicaragua.  In that post he covered war and upheaval in Central America. He also wrote two books about the region. One of them, co-authored with Stephen Schlesinger, is Bitter Fruit: The Untold Story of the American Coup in Guatemala.  The other one, Blood of Brothers: Life and War in Nicaragua, is a social and political portrait that the New Yorker called “impressive for the refinement of its writing and also the breadth of its subject matter.” Columbia University awarded Kinzer its Maria Moors Cabot prize for outstanding coverage of Latin America.

In 1996 Kinzer spent four years traveling widely in Turkey and in the new nations of Central Asia and the Caucasus. After completing this assignment, Kinzer published Crescent and Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds.

In 2006 Kinzer published Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq.  It recounts the 14 times the United States has overthrown foreign governments.  Kinzer seeks to explain why these interventions were carried out and what their long-term effects have been. He has made several trips to Iran, and is the author of All the Shah’s Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror. It tells how the CIA overthrew Iran’s nationalist government in 1953.

Kinzer wrote about Africa in his book A Thousand Hills: Rwanda’s Rebirth and the Man Who Dreamed It. Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa called it “a fascinating account of a near-miracle unfolding before our very eyes.” In 2010 Kinzer published Reset: Iran, Turkey, and America’s Future, which Huffington Post called “a bold exercise in reimagining the United States’ big links in the Middle East.”

Kinzer’s next book, The Brothers: John Foster Dulles, Allen Dulles, and Their Secret World War, was widely praised.  Reviewers called it sparkling, riveting, gripping, bracing, and disturbing. The Wall Street Journal called it a “fluently written, ingeniously researched, thrillerish work of popular history.”??In 2017 Kinzer published The True Flag: Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and the Birth of American Empire. It describes America’s first great debate over military intervention abroad.” (Sourced from Wikipedia).

What is happening now in the Philippines that defenders of our country and President Duterte call “The Red October.” This follows all the hallmarks of previous overthrows which I have called: “The New Imperialism.”

The strong alliance between the “communists” (the Russian ambassador says they are not communists who have an ideology) and the yellow mob of the Liberal Party (LP) and former President Noynoy Aquino will fail because it does not have public support.

Filipinos have learned from two peaceful revolts in the past. Brig. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) deputy chief of staff for operations on internal security operations (ISO) revealed the plot was set for Sept. 21.

Rightist sections of the military “the Magdalo” of Trillanes teaming up with so-called “leftists” did not even make a dent on the solid support of the military for President Duterte despite foreign  groups and some members of the clergy egging the people to join. They are helped by some sectors of mainstream media with publicity to make it look significant. More important, the people just were not there as they did in previous attempts to overthrow government.

Another plot this time is reportedly planned for Oct. 11 under the code “Red October.” This is the date for filing candidacies for the next election. There is no great love for the liberal opposition led by former President Noynoy Aquino so this attempt will also fail.

Trillanes the self-made hero who hid in the Senate has no following. Worse he put the Senate in a quandary that will make a case to abolish it under the new Constitution.

Although there was talk that charges against Senator Trillanes this time will be unbeilable, but instead Presiding Judge Andres Soriano scheduled a hearing first on the opposition lawmaker’s coup d’état case on Oct. 5.

Once again by a wise sleight of hand by the judge, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV failed to make a hero of himself. He won’t be arrested just yet as Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 148 announced that “the honorable justice has chosen to hear the parties,” Trillanes’ counsel, Atty. Reynaldo Robles, said in a press briefing at the Senate.

This is a wise move to frustrate attempts of Trillanes and the anti-Dutertistas to project their “heroic” struggle.

Instead the court issued the order to “allow the parties to present their evidence” first before handing out an arrest warrant against the senator.

The Oct. 5 hearing is for the reception of evidence on the following: whether or not Trillanes filed the required application for amnesty under Proclamation No. 75 and whether or not Trillanes admitted guilt over the failed mutinies at the time he applied for and was granted amnesty.

Makati RTC Branch 148 dismissed the coup d’état case in 2011 after then President Benigno Aquino III granted amnesty to members of Magdalo group, including Trillanes, who staged the 2003 Oakwood mutiny and 2007 Manila Peninsula siege.

But on Aug. 31, Mr. Duterte issued Proclamation No 572, revoking the amnesty of which the anti-Dutertes claim cannot be done.