Showing posts with label US state department. Show all posts
Showing posts with label US state department. Show all posts
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Political Stability in the Philippines
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Malacanang to release Implementing Rules on Cheaper Medicines Law
Executive secretary Eduardo Ermita just announced that they will be releasing implementing rules and regulations on the Cheaper Medicines Law. Question---why the haste? Ermita should resolve the raging controversy regarding the alleged bribery attempt by Pfizer first, before they jump into another issue. It seems that this is just a diversionary tactic meant to dilute the effects of the reported attempted bribery.
And what is this I heard that the US State department will ask Mrs. Arroyo not to implement the Cheaper Medicines Law? It's not surprising since read the Huffington Post how Pfizer uses its contacts in the US State department before to deter the implementation of the law.
By the way, this is now a personal advocacy. I've set up a public service blog titled "Cheap Medicine". You can find it here at http://cheapermedicine.blogspot.com.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Puno, the Munich Putsch & The Cartagena Talks
Local government secretary Ronnie Puno is supposed to be back from his trip to the States. Malacanang issued a statement saying that Puno went on a medical leave, a clear contradiction with Puno's own statement saying that he'll be there to attend his daughter's wedding. Puno has not been seen in public since a few weeks ago.
What people don't know is Puno was seen hob nobbing with Washington royalty. Who are these men? Members of the former Bush administration and the present one. Where are they connected? They're connected with the State department and the Pentagon. And what were the things they talked about and what were those things which Puno shared with them? That's a secret.
Is Puno on a secret mission to either (1) negotiate with Washington for and on behalf of Mrs. Arroyo or (2) tell all against his boss? If he's there for Mrs. Arroyo, what is that issue that the palace wants to explain to Washington? Well, nagging tongues say it could be about con-ass. Yes, con-ass. Is that the reason why Washington has been using both diplomatic and non-diplomatic channels to send a clear and unequivocal message that they oppose the plan?
And if it's a "tell all", is Puno repeating the mistake of Ping Lacson on the eve of Estrada's demise when the former PNP chief offered himself as an alternative to his boss? Surely, Puno is not that self-absorbed to think that he'll be an acceptable solution to a problem known as Ate Glo.
For sure, whatever it was, it created a big stir inside Washington that Gates, the US defense chief, made doubly sure that they heard it right by sending his own man, CIA chief Leon Panetta, to see for themselves what's happening in this small republic in South East Asia. Maybe Gates thought that his visit was not clear enough for Mrs. Arroyo to understand. Gates and State department head Hillary Clinton were very emphatic--toe the democratic line or else, we will not hesitate to intervene in case. That's clearly what US ambassador Kristie Kenney said last week.
By the way, what's that question I asked a few entries back? What were the things that Jaime Zobel de Ayala and Mrs. Arroyo talked about in Cartagena that were so important, the entire palace entourage had to spend some time there and cause a diversion of the official itinerary? Was it, as some surmise, a talk, nay a negotiation, between civil society and Mrs. Arroyo? Was it a negotiation for Mrs. Arroyo's exit plan? And was Ayala used as the unofficial emissary of Washington to impress the desire of the Obama government for Mrs. Arroyo to "cut and cut cleanly"? And was the reaction of Mrs. Arroyo adverse? Surely shortly after that, bombs went off and bomb threats spread. Are these things Mrs. Arroyo's answer to Washington's attempts to make her think clearly?
Lastly, these things happened very fast, just a few days after the celebrated Teodoro birthday bash, described by some as the Filipino version of a Munich Putsch. Are groups within the palace fighting each other for supremacy? Surely, we really don't know. What's clear is that groups within the AFP and PNP are fighting against each other mainly to impress Madame.
What people don't know is Puno was seen hob nobbing with Washington royalty. Who are these men? Members of the former Bush administration and the present one. Where are they connected? They're connected with the State department and the Pentagon. And what were the things they talked about and what were those things which Puno shared with them? That's a secret.
Is Puno on a secret mission to either (1) negotiate with Washington for and on behalf of Mrs. Arroyo or (2) tell all against his boss? If he's there for Mrs. Arroyo, what is that issue that the palace wants to explain to Washington? Well, nagging tongues say it could be about con-ass. Yes, con-ass. Is that the reason why Washington has been using both diplomatic and non-diplomatic channels to send a clear and unequivocal message that they oppose the plan?
And if it's a "tell all", is Puno repeating the mistake of Ping Lacson on the eve of Estrada's demise when the former PNP chief offered himself as an alternative to his boss? Surely, Puno is not that self-absorbed to think that he'll be an acceptable solution to a problem known as Ate Glo.
For sure, whatever it was, it created a big stir inside Washington that Gates, the US defense chief, made doubly sure that they heard it right by sending his own man, CIA chief Leon Panetta, to see for themselves what's happening in this small republic in South East Asia. Maybe Gates thought that his visit was not clear enough for Mrs. Arroyo to understand. Gates and State department head Hillary Clinton were very emphatic--toe the democratic line or else, we will not hesitate to intervene in case. That's clearly what US ambassador Kristie Kenney said last week.
By the way, what's that question I asked a few entries back? What were the things that Jaime Zobel de Ayala and Mrs. Arroyo talked about in Cartagena that were so important, the entire palace entourage had to spend some time there and cause a diversion of the official itinerary? Was it, as some surmise, a talk, nay a negotiation, between civil society and Mrs. Arroyo? Was it a negotiation for Mrs. Arroyo's exit plan? And was Ayala used as the unofficial emissary of Washington to impress the desire of the Obama government for Mrs. Arroyo to "cut and cut cleanly"? And was the reaction of Mrs. Arroyo adverse? Surely shortly after that, bombs went off and bomb threats spread. Are these things Mrs. Arroyo's answer to Washington's attempts to make her think clearly?
Lastly, these things happened very fast, just a few days after the celebrated Teodoro birthday bash, described by some as the Filipino version of a Munich Putsch. Are groups within the palace fighting each other for supremacy? Surely, we really don't know. What's clear is that groups within the AFP and PNP are fighting against each other mainly to impress Madame.
Monday, April 6, 2009
ICRC workers' lives in extreme danger
Two of Mrs. Gloria Arroyo's lieutenants are bickering over the Sulu ICRC Hostage crisis. Defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro castigated Senator Richard Gordon, an ally of Arroyo, for saying that the lives of the hostages are now in the hands of the president. This rabid administration dog wanted to shield his boss from brickbats later on. However, this betrays the real intention of the government.
Teodoro does'nt feel like talking with the hostages. For him, enough concessions have already been given. It's not for Gordon. For the head of the Philippine Red Cross, a troop pullout is needed to allow negotiations to continue. An inch of pullback would be enough to allow representatives of the ASG and the government to negotiate for the safe release of the two ICRC hostages, Notter and Vagni.
This is a very dangerous play these two jerks are playing. They're putting the very lives of these ICRC workers in extreme jeopardy. By bickering in public, they're both justifying the use of force and they're both telling us to just accept the terrible consequence later on. They are priming for an attack against the ASG.
What these government officials don't know is they're both playing in the hands of the ASG. Their public bickering would justify what the ASG wanted all along---behead the hostages and show the world that they mean business. They did it before and they're willing to do it again moreso now that even the Pope is watching the developments in that part of Mindanao.
Wittingly or unwittingly, these two government officials have now placed the very lives of these foreign hostages in extreme jeopardy. I would'nt be surprised if we get news that one of the two have already been executed.
Government want an assault. They want to feed on the machismo, the bravado and the confidence of the commander on the ground, to the detriment of the hostages and their families.
Actually, even prior to the release of Lacaba, government has planned for an assault. They want to show the world that they can defeat the ASG by the use of force, consistent with the US policy. They want to show Washington that Mrs. Arroyo is tough against terror.
This justifies what I have earlier wrote here----the government of Mrs. Arroyo, especially those hawks within the palace, want negotiations to fail to justify an armed encounter with the bandit group. This is just a palabas, a show, meant to appease their bosses over at the Pentagon and the State Department. Mrs. Arroyo wants to sacrifice the lives of the International Red Cross workers to show the US that it is serious in fighting intransigent elements in the country.
I say it again, what these jerks intend to do is based on a misreading of the situation.
Teodoro does'nt feel like talking with the hostages. For him, enough concessions have already been given. It's not for Gordon. For the head of the Philippine Red Cross, a troop pullout is needed to allow negotiations to continue. An inch of pullback would be enough to allow representatives of the ASG and the government to negotiate for the safe release of the two ICRC hostages, Notter and Vagni.
This is a very dangerous play these two jerks are playing. They're putting the very lives of these ICRC workers in extreme jeopardy. By bickering in public, they're both justifying the use of force and they're both telling us to just accept the terrible consequence later on. They are priming for an attack against the ASG.
What these government officials don't know is they're both playing in the hands of the ASG. Their public bickering would justify what the ASG wanted all along---behead the hostages and show the world that they mean business. They did it before and they're willing to do it again moreso now that even the Pope is watching the developments in that part of Mindanao.
Wittingly or unwittingly, these two government officials have now placed the very lives of these foreign hostages in extreme jeopardy. I would'nt be surprised if we get news that one of the two have already been executed.
Government want an assault. They want to feed on the machismo, the bravado and the confidence of the commander on the ground, to the detriment of the hostages and their families.
Actually, even prior to the release of Lacaba, government has planned for an assault. They want to show the world that they can defeat the ASG by the use of force, consistent with the US policy. They want to show Washington that Mrs. Arroyo is tough against terror.
This justifies what I have earlier wrote here----the government of Mrs. Arroyo, especially those hawks within the palace, want negotiations to fail to justify an armed encounter with the bandit group. This is just a palabas, a show, meant to appease their bosses over at the Pentagon and the State Department. Mrs. Arroyo wants to sacrifice the lives of the International Red Cross workers to show the US that it is serious in fighting intransigent elements in the country.
I say it again, what these jerks intend to do is based on a misreading of the situation.
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