Habitual opacity, low credibility

GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc, The Philippine Star, Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Senator and Olongapo City ex-mayor Richard Gordon wonders why Filipinos would pay P22,000 to hear fellow-”RG”, New York City ex-mayor Rudolph Giuliani, speak on “Leadership in Time of Crisis.” More so since, as Navotas chief Toby Tiangco, one of the 300 who paid, notes, we already knew what Giuliani had to say yet listened as if hearing them for the first time. “Choose a leader you can trust; a leader must be honest,” the two-day visitor said, adding that he doesn’t know enough of RP domestic issues to speak about it with authority. Still, many felt Giuliani was talking about us, Senator Francis Pangilinan sighed. Or, to be exact, he seemed to know what we don’t have in our leaders.

Trust? Gloria Arroyo cannot claim to have that key leadership virtue. In her latest poll, 60 percent said they were dissatisfied and only 22 graded her okay, for a net rating of negative 38. Before her State of the Nation last week, 40 percent were sure she would lie as usual and only 19 percent gave her the benefit of the doubt. Of her performance under food and fuel crisis, 75 percent said they are worse off today than in the past two years.

The Arroyo admin doesn’t even understand the word trust. When the poor ratings came out, a spokesman scoffed at the surveys, saying, “let the people and not just a few respondents decide.” Strange, but in polls where Arroyo scored well, they proclaimed, “the people have spoken.” Yet they prattle as if she is not forbidden to run again in an election where the people can decide or, worse, as if her last election was not rigged.

Honesty? Arroyo can’t claim to that either. Her admin’s sleazy deals stink to the core. In order to win the Presidency, there were the ghost swine (P2b) and fertilizer (P728m) deliveries. Afterwards, there were Northrail ($503m), Southrail ($692m), ZTE ($329m), cornered telecom frequencies, smuggling, and overpriced coal purchases. And to cover up, there were the P500,000 bribes to congressmen and governors. Not to mention, the buyout of bishops and generals.

Because crooked, the Arroyo admin can’t take constructive criticism. It has taken to maligning even past staunch allies. At ousted Speaker Joe de Venecia, Arroyo’s executive secretary sneers: “He’s beginning to behave and talk like any other opposition member, so we don’t give him credibility.” And ex-President Fidel Ramos they are smearing by text brigade; eg., from 0915-4129036: “FVR shud stop hitting GMA policies n talk abt resignation hyatt10 what he left us r problems up 2 now filipinos remember IPPs, PEA-Amari?”

Instead of being trusty and honest, the admin is habitually opaque. If asked to explain irregularities, cabineteers invoke executive privilege even when no national security or diplomatic ties is at stake. Officials who wish to blow the whistle are kidnapped or demoted or ordered to stay away from the Senate. Investigative journalists are harassed with false raps.

Malacañang ignores transparency. Though claiming to represent the people, it has not bothered to consult Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan folk who will be most affected by ceding territory to armed separatists. It wanted Filipinos to pay $329m (P17b) for telecom tools from ZTE, whose contract it hid on the pretext first of theft, then on confidentiality of proprietary info. It exiled Jocjoc Bolante to prevent testimony on the fertilizer scam that funded the 2004 presidential run. It induced Ignacio Arroyo to own up to the Jose Pidal alias bank account of First Gentleman-brother Mike. Worst of all, Arroyo herself obfuscated about her two-dozen phone calls to an election official while her votes were still being canvassed.

Palace officials are wondering why Arroyo’s survey ratings are so low. They can’t seem to get it: dishonesty has led to public distrust.

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In his talk Giuliani recounted a basic lesson he learned from his dad on human relations. It was to make it a point to attend weddings, which are the most joyous of persons’ lives, but more importantly funerals, when the grieving kin need consoling.

Makati Mayor Jojo Binay, whose foundation was among the sponsors of the leadership talk, knows that maxim well. In his many years in public office since 1986, first as officer-in-charge, then as elected mayor, and once as husband of the mayor, he has made it a point to go to eight to ten wakes a night. To date he has been to roughly 60,000. In the process, Binay not only endeared himself to constituents but also got to feel the public pulse. That, along with regular meetings with business and civic leaders, gave him the best ideas for directions and projects.

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E-mail: jariusbondoc@workmail.com

Sikretong MILF pact pipirmahan ngayon

SAPOL Ni Jarius Bondoc, Pilipino Star Ngayon, Tuesday, August 5, 2008

HABANG sinusulat ito, patuloy ang paglusob ng armadong Moro Islamic Liberation Front sa mga sibilyang baryo sa North Cotabato. Mahigit 70 kubo ng magsasaka na ang sinunog nila, nagnakaw ng daan-daang baka’t kalabaw, at nanakit ng mga nagtatanggol sa ari-arian.

Habang sinusulat din ito, lumabas ang kautusan ng Korte Suprema sa Malacañang na ibunyag sa mga maaa­pektuhang mamamayan ang nilalaman ng pipirmahan nitong kasunduan sa MILF ngayong araw.

Palihim pero apurahan sanang pipirmahan ngayon ang umano’y “peace pact.” Wawakasan daw ng kasunduan ang karahasan ng mga armado sa mga sibilyan. Pero hindi maarok ng mga taga-North Cotabato kung paano ito mangyayari, gayong nilulusob sila ng mga MILF pero hindi maipagtanggol ng PNP o AFP.

Kung tutuusin maaring kumalat pa nga ang karahasan. Nakakuha ako ng kopya ng kasunduang pipirmahan ngayon, Agosto 5, at nililista rito ang mga pook na isusuko ng Malacañang sa MILF. Tiyak na hindi papayag ang mga halal na civilian officials sa mga lugar na ito, Kristiyano man o Muslim, na mapailalim lang basta sa lokal ng MILF commander. At tiyak sa igigiit naman ng huli ang kasulatan upang manakop. Kaya gulo ang kauuwian.

Saad sa peace pact na magpe-plebisito sa mga “Bangsamoro ancestral territory” kung nais nilang masakop ng Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao. Kabilang dito ang malalaking bahagi ng: Zamboanga City, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, North Cotabato, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, at Palawan.

Saad din na pact ang “Bangsamoro territory” — lahat ng lupa, ilog, dagat at himpapawid sa Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan na tinuturing batay sa kasaysayan na homeland o ancestral domain. Miski tituladong lupa, ayon sa paliwanag, ay maaring mapasailalim ng Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.

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Lumiham sa jariusbondoc@workmail.com

Petisyon na ibunyag ang GRP-MILF deal

SAPOL Ni Jarius Bondoc, Pilipino Star Ngayon, Monday, August 4, 2008

NAGNGINGITNGIT ang mga taga-Mindanao. Kasi ni wala man lang konsultasyon sa kanila, pero ipamimigay ng gobyerno ng Maynila sa Moro Islamic Liberation Front ang mga purok nila na nasa ilalim ng sibilyang pamahalaan. Ibig sabihin, biglang mapapasailalim ng lokal na MILF commander ang mga halal na gobernador at mayor.

Lumalaban ang mga halal na opisyal. Sa pamumuno ni North Cotabato Vice Gov. Manny Piñol, nagkaisa ang mga pinu­nong Kristiyano at Muslim para dumulog sa Korte Supre­ma. Hinihingi nila sa Korte na ipabunyag sa Palasyo ang mga detalye ng napabalitang peace agreement sa MILF. Bahagi ng petisyon ang pagpapatigil sa napipintong pirmahan.

Panunuya ang naging tugon na Malacañang. Wika nito, saka na lang magsampa ng kaso sa korte ang mga apektadong taga-Mindanao, kapag napirmahan na ang agreement (at huli na ang lahat). At sobra na talaga ang kapalaluhan at pagkamalihim ng Malacañang. Ayaw man lang ipakita sa mga masasakop na mamamayan kung ano-ano’ng lugar ang isusuko sa MILF bilang “bahagi ng Bangsamoro ancestral domain.”

Walang magawa sina Piñol kundi umasa sa galing ng mga mamamahayag sa pagkuha ng detalyes tungkol sa Mala­cañang-MILF agreement. Isang draft ang nakuha ko. At sa papeles na iyon, itinuturing na bahagi ng teritoryo ng MILF ang Zamboanga City, North Cotabato at ikatlong bahagi ng Palawan — mga lugar ng dominado ng Kristiyano. Ito’y bukod sa walong bayan sa Lanao del Norte na dominado ng Muslim at nais sana sumapi sa Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao — pero hindi tiyak kung nais magpailalim sa MILF.

Kung ano ang pagmamatigas ng Malacañang laban sa Oposisyon, siyang lambot nito sa mga separatista. Pinaaapura nito sa mga alipores sa Kongreso ang pagkansela ng ARMM elections sa Agosto 11, dahil ‘yon ang nais ng MILF. Bakit nagka­ gan’un bigla ang Malacañang? Ani Piñol, may kinalaman ito sa natural gas at langis sa Liguasan Marsh na sasakupin ng MILF at pagpapartehan sa gobyerno nang 75:25. Pera na naman?

Why is Malacañang hiding MILF pact?

GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc, The Philippine Star, Monday, August 4, 2008

Scores of Moro separatists rampaged last week across two villages in North Cotabato, razing 85 houses and rustling dozens of cattle. The mostly Christian and some Muslim farmers ran to the poblacion for help. When none came, Vice Gov. Manny Piñol decried on radio the military’s failure to repel the marauders. “They told me they were under orders to hold their fire,” he fumed. “They were to not jeopardize the signing of the peace pact.”

That “pact” is supposed to be inked tomorrow in Malaysia by reps of Malacañang and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Ostensibly it will usher in a peace with the 22,000-strong force that has been seceding from RP since 1976. The Palace has been hiding the draft, though. Residents of Mindanao and beyond who will be most affected have not been consulted. Elected Christian and Muslim leaders doubt this early if the accord truly can end war. For, the “Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain” spells a “territory” to be ceded by Malacañang to the rebels. Such territory would cover cities and towns that thrice already – in plebiscites in 1976, 1988 and 2001 – had rejected inclusion in a Muslim zone. The intended resistance of those communities could be met more harshly by the MILF, which will retain its arms. In effect, the peace pact might bring worse violence.

The pillage in Aleosan and Midsayap towns last week could be the preview. Commander Ameril Umbra Kato of the MILF 105th base command led the raiders. Muslim leaders said the terrorism was not about Islamists versus Christians but armed bands against peace-loving civilians. The pact has yet to be signed, but the MILF already is displaying its suppression tactics on areas to be put under its rule, they opine.

There’s confusion on the ground. A government peace adviser said the MILF central command treated the Cotabato incidents as police matters, not ceasefire violations. Kato’s group purportedly is a “lost command”; he is loyal to deceased MILF founder Salamat Hashim, not to present chairman Al Haj Murad, and cannot be controlled. The burning of villages allegedly stemmed from a land dispute. Even then, Piñol asked, “is this what the MOA will bring to us, the rule of roving rebels?” With the Army’s token resistance, a mix of soldiers who have relatives among the stricken farmers reportedly broke ranks to fight off the raiders.

Land is the core of the Malacañang-MILF pact. It sets as Bangsamoro historic homeland all land, rivers, seas and air “embracing the Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan region.” A Bangsamoro Juridical entity – to be led by the MILF, of course – shall have full control over police, trade, mining, forestry and agriculture therein. Extracted natural resources shall be shared 75:25 by the BJE and national government. (The STAR obtained a copy of the MOA, yet unsigned but already initialed by the chief negotiators.)

“Ancestral domain” comes into conflict with landownership as legally understood. Settlers in Mindanao who acquired land by homestead rights in the ’50s and Torrens titles afterwards could find themselves in limbo. A Malacañang executive summary on the MOA states: “Ancestral domain ... is more than just land and its proprietary ownership... At the heart of the concept is respect and acknowledgment, not only of the Bangsamoro people’s rights and freedoms, but also vested property rights and religious and cultural liberties of other peoples.” Critics have challenged the MILF’s authority to represent the Bangsamoro people, since it has not participated in any election. Incidentally the MILF wants Malacañang to scrap the Aug. 11 voting for governor and assemblymen of the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao.

The MOA vests territory on the BJE. Forming its core are the present ARMM (Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan), plus six towns in Lanao del Norte that voted in 2001 for ARMM membership. Malacañang must hold a new plebiscite within six months from MOA signing to include 721 more barangays. The MILF calls these villages peripheries of the ARMM. But most are in Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur and Sibugay, Lanao del Norte, Iligan City, Bukidnon, North Cotabato, and Palawan – not only predominantly Christian but also political divisions created by law.

But this is going ahead of the conflict. Malacañang must first explain to the affected folk what it intends to do with their lives.

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The building of the first of 40 homes for the homeless will kick off the Sigma Kappa Pi Fraternity’s 40th anniversary celebration. The EKIT Alumni Association has tied up with Gawad Kalinga to erect a full housing block at Recomville, Caloocan City, starting Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008.

The nationalist service brotherhood born in 1968 will also hold a two-day birthday fete on Aug. 29 and 30 at the U.P.-Diliman. Holy Mass, Balik-Tambayan, and video-ops will be held on Friday the 29th. A national convention, election of officers, and testimonial dinner-ball follow on Saturday the 30th.

The EKIT 40th will honor the founders and outstanding brods. For details, call Dante Gozum, 0918-9076281; Lito San Antonio, 0918-9014070; or Bing Villarta (40th chairman), 0905-2801782.

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E-mail: jariusbondoc@workmail.com