GMA lauds STAR publisher as her ‘Mr. Kissinger’

President Arroyo lauded yesterday STAR publisher Maximo Soliven, who she called her "Mr. Henry Kissinger," for his role in helping peacefully resolve the 22-hour mutiny in Makati City last Sunday.

The President, who extended her personal accolade to Soliven, said the junior officers who staged a mutiny and took over Oakwood Premier Ayala Center last Sunday specifically requested for him to intervene on their behalf.

The informal presidential commendation to Soliven came as Mrs. Arroyo learned about The STAR’s 17th anniversary yesterday.

"Congratulations to the Philippine STAR. Happy anniversary," the President said. "I am very especially thankful to Max. He was my ‘Mr. Kissinger’ yesterday."

Kissinger, US secretary of state during the term of President Richard Nixon, was known for his statesmanship when he was sent to troubled parts of the world as the official US peace mediator.

The President likened Soliven to Kissinger when the STAR publisher, as a private citizen, agreed to accept a request made to him by the government to act as an intermediary at the height of the mutiny last Sunday.

Little known perhaps to Mrs. Arroyo, Soliven was a former student of Kissinger at Harvard University. He was taking up his doctorate degree in international studies as a scholar of the Kissinger Foundation.

"He (Kissinger) was, in fact, my professor in 1964," Soliven said.

Kissinger was the dean at Harvard’s international studies department.

In 1968, Kissinger became an advisor to the Nixon campaign. After Nixon was elected, he became the national security adviser. During this time he took control of US foreign policy and was named secretary of state in 1973, a position he held until the end of the Ford administration.

Soliven’s presence at the negotiations was sought by the mutineers themselves before the 7 p.m. deadline given by the President last Sunday for them "to stand down" and to surrender. The original deadline of 5 p.m. was extended only after the mutineers decided to agree to peaceful negotiations with the government.

Soliven said he himself was surprised that the soldiers, many of whom were from batch 1994 and 1995 at the Philippine Military Academy, sought his assistance.

The STAR publisher said Army Capt. Dennis Eclerin, whom he knew from way back, called him up at home to tell him that the mutineers specifically requested for him.

"Sir, they (mutineers) want you to be here. They said you are the only one they trust," Soliven quoted Eclerin telling him over the phone.

Through Soliven’s intercession, the President agreed to extend the deadline for the last time to 7 p.m., or until both sides reached a compromise to end the standoff peacefully.

"I hope you can talk some sense to this group," Soliven quoted the President’s words to him before he proceeded to Oakwood to help negotiate with the rogue soldiers.

Soliven said he entered the negotiation scene at around 6:10 p.m. with retired Armed Forces chief of staff and now Ambassador Roy Cimatu.

This was after opposition senators Gregorio Honasan, Rodolfo Biazon and Vicente Sotto III finished their closed-door dialogue with the mutineers.