DILG Role in Nicole Recantation

What's the role played by DILG Undersecretary Marius Corpus in securing a compromised agreement between the parties of Suzette (Nicole) Nicolas, the alleged Subic rape victim, and convicted rapist Lance Corporal Daniel Smith?

Remember that last year, Corpus was sent to the US embassy to look after Smith. There were reports last year of an attempt by the US government to send Smith home.

Was Corpus visit to the US embassy one of many meetings that led to the eventual recantation of Nicole? Are those visits official negotiations between the US and Philippine governments in relation to the eventual reversal of the conviction of Smith?

In an interview late last year, Corpus was heard over ABS-CBN 2 telling us that there are indications that "this issue would be resolved soon." Was that a slip of the tongue?

If Corpus had a hand in the negotiations that led to Nicole's trip abroad last January, then, this provides introvertible proof that there was a government-to-government involvement in Nicole's case. And for what?

To secure the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

Obama took the VFA bait

Finally, after several attempts and even a costly visit to the United States early this year, US President Barack Obama called Philippine president Mrs. Arroyo up yesterday, allegedly affirming the US commitment to the Visiting Forces Agreemet (VFA).

It was so obvious that the reason why this government allowed media to feast on the Daniel Smith affair is basically as a bait for Obama to finally give Mrs. Arroyo an audience.

It's surprising though, why even cause-oriented groups and legislators took part in this obvious papansin gesture and why they allowed themselves to be used by Mrs. Arroyo to bait Obama.

Obviously, Obama can't go against established agreements like the VFA, since, as the State Department earlier reiterated, the VFA is an important cog in the overall US mainland security plan.

And with China's weakening economic power and the increasing presence of international terrorists in Mindanao, Obama has no choice but to call Mrs. Arroyo.

Does this mean that this administration would now be abandoning its position relative to the Smith affair? And that it will now allow the convicted rapist to just be expatriated to the US and serve his sentence there?

More than this, this incident showed how our government really view external affairs---it's definitely personal. It's neither based on solidly founded Constitutional principles nor on properly researched positions. It's simply personal when we conduct our affairs.

And Obama was made a sucker.