Opinion
IN HIS recent visit to Bru- chairman. This after Presinei and now to China, Presi- dent Duterte tagged him as dent Duterte hasn’t uttered an “oligarch who must be dea single cuss word. This is stroyed.” because Duterte chooses his But Bobby, who was my audience. He knows these student at Ateneo, is far from expletives resonate with Fili- being an oligarch embedded pinos. Duterte is being street in government. smart; he knows what a parThus, when Ongpin sold ticular audience wants him his 771,651,896 shares to to say. Gregoria Ma. Araneta III, I believe that in due time, son-in-law of the late strongwhen illegal drugs and crim- man President Marcos, at inality are no longer a men- P2.60 per share amounting ace to society, the President to more than P2 billion— will finally metamorphose representing 53.76 percent of into the statesman we want Philweb—Araneta wrote the him to be. SEC chairman that while he When a man is humble was willing to abide by the enough to acknowledge his SEC requirement of the tenmistakes and apologize for der offer. He would sell to them, he is still capable of minority stockholders shares doing great things for the at the earliest possible time; country. I think real change such an offer should be made will come, eventually – and I after his transaction with am not being an apologist for Ongpin is over. the President. Araneta wrote Herbosa: In the same breath, I worry “I have on several occasions that the majority of Filipinos confirmed my willingness to seem perfectly fine with the abide by the requirements of killings of thousands of al- the tender offer at the earlileged drug dealers and us- est possible time. However, ers. Have we become desen- it should be obvious to all sitized to concer ned v i o l e n c e? that beCan we no cause the longer distransaccern what tion price Pagcor must is wrong? is P2.60 grant Philweb S a n t a per share Banana, anew its license to and the without the current operate. rule of law market and due price is process, above P9 where are that no we headed? sharehold*** er will tender his shares at The Supreme Court was P2.60 when he can dispose set to decide last Tuesday on of those shares at the market the many petitions against at anytime at the prevailing the burial of the remains of market price of P9 or better.” the late strongman President That’s logical enough for Ferdinand Marcos. Instead anybody to understand. Why the high court decided to would Araneta make a tenextend the status quo ante der offer to stockholders at order to November 8. What only P2.60 per share when could be the reason? the stockholders can always Insiders tell me that while buy at the market price of P9 the majority of the justices or over? have already voted for the Thus, the SEC should have dismissal of the petitions no choice but to approve the against the Marcos burial, block sale to be executed the the “Yellows” in the Su- soonest possible time. The preme Court—led by no tender offer requirement, if less than Chief Justice Ma. required to be accomplished Lourdes Sereno, together prior to the block sale, will with Justices Benjamin only cause unnecessary Caguioa, the assigned “po- expenses on the part of nente,” Marvic Leonen and Araneta. Francis Jardeleza—sought It should be clear by now the postponement of the de- to observers that in effect cision. They are still hoping Ongpin lost more than P20 they could influence the oth- billion after Philweb’s share er justices to side with them. price plunged. But, if only That’s the problem with to have Philweb continue its the gods of Mount Olympus e-Games operations where at Padre Faura—they adhere Philweb and e-Games emto the “tayo tayo” system on ployees numbering over many controversial cases. 6,000 since August 11 have Some members of the judici- been out of work and the 131 ary decide not on the basis of operators of e-Games, and the law but on “pakikisama.” their investments of P1.8 My sources tell me, how- billion could be wiped out, ever, that the decision would Ongpin sold his share at only still be in favor of burial at P2.60 per share. the Libingan. Pagcor had stated that “the In the meantime, there issue is not RVO (Roberto are moves by Congress to V. Ongpin) or Philweb rename the LNMB as simply per se. It is the President’s the “Soldiers Cemetery.” and his governments After all, the LNMB was opposition to on-line and patterned after the Arlington on-site electronic gambling Cemetery. Along with this because of the social ills and move, there’s a plan to decay that they foist on our build a pantheon for heroes. communities as they cater Santa Banana, that could to the more economically well be the answer to this vulnerable position of our controversy. population.” *** It also stands to reason that Securities and Exchange after the President allowed Commission chairperson on-line and off-site gambling Teresita Herbosa has di- so long as they were far from rected Philweb, an online schools and churches, and gambling company, to ten- since Ongpin had already der an offer to stockholders divested his shares, Pagcor after businessman Robert V. must now grant Philweb its Ongpin divested himself as license to operate anew.
A5
mst.daydesk@gmail.com
The missing piece
TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO
Saving jobs and investments
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2016
MINORITY REPORT DANILO SUAREZ THE House Justice Committee has released its report on House Resolution No. 105, an investigation into drug proliferation in the New Bilibid Prison in aid of legislation. While I find the Committee Report comprehensive, what is lacking is a recommendation for the filing of the appropriate charges against those who were alleged to have violated the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, and committed acts of bribery and corruption. During the previous administration, investigations in aid of legislation routinely resulted in the recommendation of filing
of proper charges contained in their respective Committee Reports. Case in point, the Blue Ribbon recommendation to file charges against those involved in the pork barrel scam. Now, even before the report has been issued, the current chairperson has made a statement that no recommendations will be made because it is not a legislative function. Why the inconsistency? The investigation focused on a multi-billion industry with powerful and well-connected people benefitting from this unspeakable arrangement. The drug trade on a commercial level infiltrated our national penitentiaries and transformed our prisons as convenient venues for the illegal activities to proliferate. This happened with the knowledge and complicity of government
officials, as testified by the drug personalities and other witnesses last week. To effectively fulfill our duty as legislators, we in the Minority will be filing amendatory legislation to impose stricter standards in our correctional facilities. We welcome the input of psychologists and other experienced medical professionals to assist us in making laws that rehabilitate prisoners, and give them tools to be integrated in society. There should be no hesitation in our actions to rid our country of the drug menace. Our country has taken a huge step in fighting this pandemic which has plagued us most especially during the last six years. Let us not waste it by using meek words in this time of action. We weigh the importance of
fulfilling our mandate as public servants against the insistence on the separation of powers. Faced with the information revealed, are we, as public officials, to just allow nature take its course without even voicing what we feel is the right thing to do? What we propose is a mere recommendation. It is the Executive’s discretion whether to accept or reject this. Four televised hearing days, 22 witnesses, 10 resource persons, an uncontroverted Discovery Channel documentary to start all of the testimonies corroborating what was to be narrated later, all point to one sordid truth: powerful people during the past administration not only dropped the ball in protecting us, they also contributed to the drug problem’s massive growth.
Perspectives on a principled Philippine foreign policy By Albert F. Del Rosario THIS speech was delivered by the former Secretary of Foreign Affairs on October 18, 2016 at the Marriott Hotel I am deeply humbled to accept the Asia CEO Lifetime Contributors Award as it truly was an honor and privilege to have served our country and the Filipino people for a whole decade as Philippine Ambassador to the US and subsequently, as secretary of Foreign Affairs. Pillars of Philippine foreign policy While heading the DFA, over the last five (5) years, our firm belief was that it was necessary for the Philippines to effectively assert its rightful place in the community of nations. As a responsible nation, we sought further to make a contribution to maintaining a rulesbased international order. Under the leadership of the previous administration, we pursued with the greatest of vigor the three (3) Pillars of Philippine Foreign Policy: To promote national security; To enhance economic diplomacy; and To protect the rights and promote the welfare of overseas Filipinos. These pillars were strategically advanced by a foreign policy that was principled, independent, and in accordance with the rule of law for which we had renewed the confidence and earned the respect of the international community. Principled and independent foreign policy It has recently been perceived that our foreign policy had seemingly gone off-track. Since there appeared to be a lack of clarity
Joint... From A4 misgivings on the unabated alleged extrajudicial killings. But the pivot to China is something that he has not expounded on much during the presidential campaign. He chose to remain quiet on this issue but now seems to be taking center stage. Secretary Perfecto Yasay once quipped that observers should not pay attention to what the President says but what he does. True enough. But these contradictory and confusing statements are not doing the country any good because it is negatively affecting the financial markets and the economy in the long run. Even Senator Panfilo Lacson, who is not a trained economist, said the peso slide has something to do with the perception that the government is spooking the market because of its rhetoric. But the President is now in China with
A student’s... From A4 used water cannon to disperse indigenous people who gathered in front of the military headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo to press for their rights to their ancestral land. I thought violent dispersals were a thing of the past. And I thought protesters were now welcomed and ushered all the way into the presidential pal-
from the incumbent administration on what a principled and independent foreign policy should be, please allow me to respectfully expand on what I think it is and what it is not. To be principled and independent, our foreign policy must be rooted in our core values as a nation. A principled and independent foreign policy must therefore be anchored on democracy, freedom, good governance, respect for human rights and the rule of law. To be a principled and independent foreign policy, our national interest must be considered first and foremost, with the national interest being defined and promoted based on our values. That is why we stood for what is right; and that is why we defended what is rightfully and legitimately ours using peaceful means in accordance with the rule of law. That is also why we identified ourselves with states which observe and adhere to rulesbased international norms. And, moreover, that is why in addressing the most critical security issue in our region, the Philippines positioned itself to successfully demonstrate that “right is might” and international law is the great equalizer among states. Thus, we trust and have been given the assurance that our government will not overlook the fact that it is compelled by the law of the land to fully address The Hague’s Arbitral Award under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Having said what a principled and independent foreign policy should be, we would also like to dwell on what it should not be.
NOT PRINCIPLED AND INDEPENDENT A principled and independent foreign policy is not about appearing to be driven by a possible bias or when it is advanced as a “zero-sum game” so that a close alliance, or valued partners and friends are suddenly cast aside to favor another state. This is most difficult to comprehend since the perceived favored state has clearly and consistently exhibited, and continues to demonstrate assertive behavior while blatantly violating international law to the grave disadvantage of the Philippines and to the detriment of our national interest. Our foreign policy is not principled and independent when we threaten to burn bridges with our close friends who have historically stood with us during difficult times since relations with old partners can co-exist with any new ones we may seek. For that matter, the friends we distance ourselves from today may be the very ones from whom we may need help tomorrow. With the possibility of bridges being burned, our foreign policy is as well not principled and independent when we may not know what the end game would be if our newfound friend turns out to be other than expected. Surely, our foreign policy is not principled and independent if we believe that the Philippines can exist in isolation amid an increasingly complex yet interdependent world. At day’s end, our foreign policy is neither principled nor independent unless we are able to respond to this fundamental question: Where is the wisdom if we are appearing to place all our bets on the integrity and credibility
of our northern neighbor— especially one, in particular, that vehemently rejects adhering to the rule of law? Rules-Based As our President is embarking on State Visits, we have seen from the news that he has reaffirmed the importance of the arbitration award and said that he would not “barter” it away. This is an important and timely step in upholding the country’s commitment to the rule of international law in the conduct of relations between nations. It may be worthwhile for our government to ensure that we have conveyed our gratitude for the support received from the responsible community of so many nations for our upholding of international law in order to seek a peaceful solution on our maritime issues. Let us also consider seeking their continued support in encouraging all relevant countries to abide by the arbitration rulings based on international law. In a multilateral setting, it is to the ultimate benefit of our entire global village to have a rules-based international order. Finally, the Philippines should pursue a foreign policy focusing on peace and stability based upon the equality of nations, the rule of law, the peaceful settlements of disputes, respect for human rights and other core principles mentioned earlier. The Philippines must therefore be an active participant in building a regional architecture of cooperation, friendship and amity involving all concerned states. Let me once again thank you for this invaluable award which I will cherish and for this opportunity as a private citizen to be able to dutifully share my humble views.
about 400 businessmen and scores of government officials. Let us all hope that he brings home the bacon. *** What will happen to the police when this anti-drug campaign is finally declared over? In a conversation over the weekend with a fellow police retiree, I speculated on this question. Both he and I believe that the best way to solve and prevent crime is the tried-and-tested practice of good police investigation. Indeed, there is really no substitute to it. In the war over drugs, we have attracted tremendous international attention especially from human right groups. Now, the government has invited the United Nations rapporteur for Human Rights to come to the country, go anywhere, interview anyone in order to investigate whether there really is a state-sponsored extra judicial killings. If—and this is a big
if—it is found to be complicit in extra-judicial killings, what will happen to the reputation of the police as an organization? Already there are examples of this. The two motorcycle-riding masked men who gunned down an anti-crime crusader turned out to be police officers. It is now estimated that there are more than 4,000 people killed for various reasons in the antidrug war. Before this thing is over, more will die. There are those who believe that the Police is taking shortcuts to the law-enforcement process. That it is simply killing the suspects without any due process to save themselves from the hard work of having to investigate and file cases. To these observers, this is poor police work and is certain to affect the psyche of the Police. The public cannot afford a trigger-happy police force. Is it necessary to detoxify the whole Police and retrain them
to be a force that the public can trust again? This is a daunting and scary effect of this antidrug war. Managing a huge anti-crime campaign such as the drug war is not that easy. This is because our statistics on people who use, sell and manufacture drugs is not always reliable—although we know the problem is out there and is huge. In order to wage this war, Police leaders will have get to the entire organization to a situation wherein certain objectives will have to be met. Otherwise, local police commanders will be relieved for non-performance. There is therefore pressure from top to bottom, and this is where the shortcuts come in. Hopefully when this is over, the Police as an organization will emerge with its perspective intact. Otherwise, it will take years to retrain, counsel and institute other programs to bring the Police back to what it should be.
ace, where the president himself would listen to their demands. I understand that the military is still unused to being the target of mass actions right outside their headquarters. And that the Manila policemen in charge of guarding the US Embassy have always acted more American than their most ardent flag-waving Stateside “brothers.” But the superiors of the soldiers who used water cannon to disperse the protesting lumad
and the cop named Kho who drove the killer police van need to discipline their men right away. This is, after all, a time when the entire politburo of the local communist movement can have dinner with the president in Malacañang and when both the MILF and the MNLF have become real partners of the government in the pursuit of lasting peace in Mindanao. The police and the military, of course, need time to relearn
their jobs and their true role in society. They must understand that they are the protectors of the people and not their oppressors. In the same way that criminals should understand that they will no longer be able to get away with crime, the police and military must accept that the people are their allies, not their foes. To paraphrase Nobel laureate Bob Dylan, the times should already be a-changing, right?