S AT U R D AY : A P R I L 2 3 , 2 0 1 6
A11
OPINION
lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph
Earth... From A10
The defense... From A9 parts, made it to many
In yesterday’s event hosted by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje was expected to sign for the Philippines. Climate Change Commission (CCC) Vice-Chair Secretary Emmanuel de Guzman, with his colleagues Commissioners Noel Gaerlan and Veronica Victorio, will also be there. There were other diplomats and officials too, including CCC legal chief Atty. Railla Puno. I like that our relevant climate change officials went to New York in full force, with global resolve and political will. The Paris Agreement is imperfect; we must now work hard to improve it even as we finalize the rules for its implementation with the expectation that the Agreement will take effect by 2018 or earlier. Domestically, we must comply with our commitment, subject to support of development partners, to reduce our emissions by 70 percent relative to business-asusual levels by 2030. We must adopt a mandatory energy mix that caps coal power, build clean and low-emission transportation systems, and effectively protect our forests and ecosystems. Adaptation efforts must also be scaled up so that our people and communities become more resilient. Senator Grace Poe, in her statement on Earth Day, is right in thanking President Aquino for positioning the Philippine as a leader in climate change. If elected President, Poe has committed to comply with our Paris commitments, pledging: “With political will and with the dreams and hopes of our children in mind, we will spare no efforts in honoring our word.” In my environmental writing, I frequently quote Rainier Maria Rilke, the great German poet. One he said: “Everything is far and long gone by. I think that the star glittering above me has been dead for a million years. I would like to step out of my heart and go walking beneath the enormous sky. I would like to pray. And surely of all the stars that perished long ago, one still exists. I think that I know which one it is.” It is my hope, that because we cared and took action, centuries from now, our descendants too would come out and walk beneath the sky and say: our planet still exists. Yesterday, for the first time in the many Earth Days I have celebrated, I felt that maybe we will win this fight.
Fortunately for Gazmin, the US sent some of its troops and warships in the recent joint PhilippineAmerican military exercises in the West Philippine Sea. While the bilateral activity was ostensibly a military exercise authorized under a defense agreement between Manila and Washington, D.C., the conspicuous American military presence in the area was meant to discourage any further maritime expansion Beijing may have at the moment. Sadly, whatever propaganda advantage was realized in that joint military exercise was quickly dissipated by Malacañang spokesman Manuel Quezon III when the latter practically apologized to an angry Beijing, apparently with the tacit approval of Gazmin. At the end of the military exercises, the photograph of Gazmin, Foreign Affairs Secretary Jose Almendras, and AFP chief Hernando Iriberri linking arms with their American counter-
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Ideological... From A10 As these hecklers continue to deny the glorious moment that was achieved by Marcos, they metamorphose to become political gangrene in our society. They are tolerated by this pretending-to-be-honest government because they continue to serve the purpose of misleading our people by their distortion of the past, while ignoring that the neoliberal economic policy of privatization, deregulation and free trade created a deep social wedge in our society with many of the poor scrounging for anything to keep body and soul intact. rpkapunan@gmail.com
#FAILOCRACY
newspapers. From the way he posed, Gazmin looked pleased that the US saved him from possible public criticism (for his inaction in the China conflict) as the end of his term approaches. There is, however, one glitch to Gazmin’s anticipated departure from the DND. Months ago, after Gazmin authorized the purchase of several helicopters to augment the aging ones of the air force, a whistleblower exposed that the purchase was anomalous in that the helicopters were substandard, and were acquired at unconscionably high prices. It was also revealed many of the helicopters purchased did not run, and that their operating manuals were in a foreign language not known to AFP personnel. The whistleblower later filed anti-graft charges against Gazmin and other AFP officials involved in the purchase. As a counter-measure, Gazmin filed a criminal case for libel against the whistleblower. Political analysts and
No to... From A9 for the Filipino women. At least there is a law that is more attuned to the realities and needs of rape victims and survivors. As expected, rape culture did not stop because of the law. Victim-blaming is still strong. Violence against women (VAW) remains a major problem that our country confronts day in and day out. Many things remain undone to really address VAW. And now comes presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte, who, from the start of the campaign, has been consistently disrespecting women, portraying them as “sex toys” to be used as he desires. His attitude, actions, and words in the campaign trail reeks of machismo, of the sexism that the women’s movement has been struggling against. He makes women the laughingstock of his sorties while extolling his masculinity.
commentators quickly saw through the Gazmin plan and denounced it as a strategy to harrass the whistleblower. Other observers said that the libel suit was intended as a leverage against the whistleblower, and as a way of discouraging other whistleblowers from exposing other possible irregularities in the AFP committed under Gazmin’s incumbency. Perhaps Gazmin is unaware that the allegations against him recited in the pertinent complaint-affidavit and accompanying documents filed by the whistleblower with the authorities are in the nature of absolute privileged communication. Under the Revised Penal Code, when allegations partake of absolute privileged communication, the person who made the allegations cannot be sued, much less convicted of, libel. Inasmuch as he is a public officer, and a high-ranking one at that, Gazmin must be aware that his official acts are always subject to scrutiny and criticism by the me-
The straw that broke the camel’s back was the video of him on the gang rape of an Australian missionary. He said the woman was very beautiful and he, as the mayor, should have been first and not the rapists. This gross statement coming from someone who wants to, and can be president of this country, cannot be justified. Duterte stated that he said those not as a joke and I believe him. He is really like that. What he fails to recognize I think is, words have power, especially from someone as popular as himself. He was sending a message that it is ok to rape women. He is telling the world that women are inferior beings that can be abused. Check the reactions of some of Duterte’s supporters. There have been threats of rape against women who criticize their idol. It is very much like a cult that is being led by Duterte. Rape is not, and can never be a joke.
dia and the general public. Therefore, if his libel case against the whistleblower is given due course by the prosecution office, then the constitutional right of the media and the general public to scrutinize and criticize the official acts of public officers will be rendered illusory. Any investigating prosecutor who knows his libel law will throw out Gazmin’s complaint outright. Since Gazmin professes to the news media that the helicopter purchase was above-board, then he should proceed to defend himself in the appropriate court proceedings, where he should present the evidence necessary to exculpate him. In the end, if the anti-graft complaint filed against Gazmin is proved false and prompted solely by malice, then he can sue the whistleblower back for perjury and damages. Right now, suing the whistleblower for libel will not help Gazmin, and will only give the impression that he is out to harass his critics because he has something to hide.
Rape is a violation of human rights, and the entire personhood of the victim. Rape’s impact is often felt for many years. Some women are unable to fully recover from it. Duterte’s manner against women should be condemned in the strongest of terms. Someone who does nor respect human rights, particularly, women’s rights cannot be president. He told women leaders who lodged a complaint against him with the Commission on Human Rights to go to hell. Indeed, it will be hell-like for women if he wins the presidency. Whatever gains have been made by the Filipino women’s movement will be put at risk. Women, and men who value human rights should vote against Duterte. #NoToDuterte! bethangsioco@gmail.com @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook
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