Too many meddlers, loudmouths and wise guys muddle Mindanao

No matter what kind of spin the government spokesmen may put on it, the President obviously cut short his five-day China trip because the Commander-in-Chief has to be at his command post in troubled times -- and times here are troubled.

In this light, it was a wise decision of Mr. Estrada to cancel any overseas commitments, like his official visit to Great Britain and his still so-so "working visit" to France. In short, those two expeditions are out. I'm glad he took the suggestion made in this corner that nothing abroad could be more pressing than the situation here.

The government will have to apologize, of course, to the British since London had exerted every effort to roll out a warm "welcome mat" for our Chief Executive, including a meeting with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (okay, it was an "audience"), plus discussions with Prime Minister Tony Blair and top-ranking officials and business groups.

The French government, on the other hand, was far from hospitable -- one wonders why any "invitation" was extended at all (or was any invitation made?)

When Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Ramon "Eki" Cardenas was sent to Paris a few weeks ago to map out a brief two-day visit, he was haughtily received by the head of protocol in the Presidential Elysée Palace, and was informed that, aside from "lunch" with President Jacques Chirac, nothing much else was on the agenda. In fact, Prime Minister Lionel Jospin (a Socialist, while Chirac is a Gaullist) even turned down the idea of hosting a lunch for President Estrada.

This government attitude of indifference, it must be said, was in sharp contrast to the eagerness of France's leading industrialists and businessmen to welcome President Erap. For instance, Chairman Jean Paul Perrier of the powerful Thomson Group had sent a formal letter to Malacañang requesting that he be scheduled to host a gala dinner for the President and 150 guests, among them top French executives, on Paris' romantic River Seine aboard one or two of the famous Bateaux Mouches. Another top-drawer industrialist and confidante of President Chirac, the legendary Chairman Serge Dessault of Dessault-Mirage (who also owns "Falcson" jet corporation in the United States), was looking forward to an opportunity to host Estrada.

In the face of French government hauteur and indifference, though -- tant pis -- why bother to journey to Paris like some petitioner with a begging bowl held out?

Dealing with the Europeans, for that matter, as symbolized by that Slick Meddler, European Union Political Adviser Javier Solana (who had the cheek to come here to dictate to our government and armed forces how the "hostage" situation in Sulu should be handled), should be called off. We're a struggling "third world" country, it's true enough, but if what we've got left is self-respect, then let's not squander it by kowtowing to those obnoxious Europeans who apparently believe they can dump on us, while we grovel and beg for crumbs.

Such sneers and snubs shouldn't discourage us, but be a goad to greater effort and determination.

The pity of it is that there are Filipinos who whine that, because of the humiliation heaped on Erap, "foreigners" have the right to spit on us. If that's their thinking, the only reasonable option they have would be to make a one-way trip to the airport or to the pier -- and go away. In fact, some are already probably doing just that.

While he ruled out London and Paris, the President announced that he was definitely going to the US on July 27 on a ten-day visit.

I asked him why he was calling on President Bill Clinton at this late stage when Clinton is already a "lameduck" President, and his Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic Party bet, seems to be lagging behind the Republican candidate, Texas Governor George W. Bush, in the poll surveys. Erap replied that Clinton had been a good friend, as was Gore, but more importantly, he had been assured of bipartisan support in an "aid package" awaiting him in Washington, DC. Anyway, it seems a meeting with Bush "by chance" is in the cards.

The President will stay in Blair House, which is the guest house for official guests and is near the White House. The rest of his trip will take him to New York City and Los Angeles.

Erap has been informed, of course, that July and August are the hottest summer months in the US, but only that short slot was available in Clinton's tough schedule which sees him campaigning hard for Al Gore -- because a Gore "win" would represent a vindication, while a Gore "loss" would mark a repudiation of his own administration.

In any event, the withdrawal of New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani -- the Republican contender, from the contest for a New York Senate seat -- has virtually guaranteed Hillary Rodham Clinton a seat in the Senate. Guiliani, who -- to his credit -- cleaned up the Big Apple and curbed crime in that once dangerous metropolis said he was giving up in order to seek medical attention for his recently diagnosed prostate cancer (the same disease which had killed his father). Another consideration, of course, must have been the noisy and messy divorce proceedings initiated by his wife of many years, whom he had left for the proverbial "younger" woman." Sapagkat siya'y tao lamang?

Malaysian Ambassador Mohammad Arshad Hussein ought to be declared persona non grata and kicked out, not just out of Mindanao but out of the country, for trying to hatch a separate deal with the Abu Sayyaf rebels (without clearance from our government or Foreign Office) regarding the nine Malaysian hostages (among the 21) kidnapped by the Moro extremist group from a resort in Malaysia last April 23.

It's bad enough that we're getting the "bad reputation" accruing to the long-drawn-out hostage crisis, when it was the laxity of the Malaysian security forces that resulted in the abduction of those 21 captives (seven of them "whites") from the Malaysian resort of Semporna, on Sipadan island, off Sabah. Now, the Malaysian envoy himself has broken protocol and muddied the situation even further by going into the bush and dickering with an Abu Sayyaf chieftain, Galib Andang alias "Commander Robot", in Taulug, Jolo.

I think it's time we also sent home former Libyan Ambassador Rajab Azzarouq, who's been making all sorts of public statements. Why should we have a diplomat, who was dispatched from a country well-known to have sponsored Muslim rebellion over the years, to "help" us in any negotiations? In short: all foreigners must be kept OUT.

This is a matter for the Philippine government and ONE government negotiator to resolve -- after all, whatever happens, it's us who'll get the blame (never the praise).

So, why don't we have one single negotiator, our own: A single spokesman, Secretary Robert Aventajado. Too many wiseguys, smart alecks, interfering morons and loudmouths are sounding off about the Mindanao situation. Lives are at stake here -- Filipino lives (why are so many bleating and cluck-clucking about the "foreign" hostages?) Those unfortunate 21 captives of the Abu Sayyaf must have believed they were "safe" by going for a holiday in a resort in Malaysia, but, alas, the Moro Abu Sayyaf launched a bold raid on the Sabah resort and took them off to Sulu. The two Filipinos abducted were resort employees, as were most of the nine Malaysians. Yet, the Europeans are worried, almost exclusively, about the three Germans, two French individuals, and the two Finns, although their concern probably includes the South African and lone Lebanese (a woman).

It's sad, of course, for all the hostages. However, we're fighting rebellion and banditry down south in Mindanao, and losing scores of soldiers and policemen in that fight. If we're forced to tiptoe around for the sake of a handful of Europeans who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, the Abu Sayyaf murderers will only escape to wreak more havoc in our nation and among our population. Let's be clear where our national priorities lie.

There's a massive propaganda drive to picture President Estrada as "bloodthirsty" just because he's determined to crush the Abu Sayyaf and put down rebellion in Mindanao. He's only doing his job as commander-in-chief -- why bash him for it?

The usual bleeding hearts and "save-the-misunderstood-and-neglected-Muslims" campaigners are roaring that Estrada must stop and talk "peace" instead of, as they claim, "going on a rampage." But that's exactly what former President Cory Aquino and former President Fidel V. Ramos did, talking endlessly about "peace" and forge "peace agreements" with the Moro rebels. Where has that got us? Only back to the battlefield, with the attacking Muslim insurgents, pirates and kidnappers resupplied, their ranks full of "new recruits," re-armed with the latest automatic weapons and rockets, well-funded, well-rested, and full of contempt for all of us.

The defenders of ex-President Ramos are now in full cry, once more heaping the blame on Estrada while claiming that FVR had done right by securing a supposed "peace" agreement with Nur Misuari and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). If what exists in Mindanao is supposed to be FVR's "peace," what would you call "war"? With those grenades and bombs exploding all around, in the Glorietta, in Jolo, in Basilan, in Zamboanga City, etc., who are doing all that terrorist "bombing"? The "peaceful" Muslim rebels who were pacified by the sell-out in Mindanao?

I think it's time it was revealed that the previous administration, between 1995 and 1998, poured P18 BILLION into the Muslim provinces of Mindanao. Where did all that "development aid" and other goodies go? To help the Moros, or to help their leaders? Now, don't tell me that the Muslim provinces were cruelly neglected.

As for the MNLF rebels who were supposed to be "incorporated" into our armed forces and PNP under the so-called peace agreement, I wouldn't be surprised if we found them fighting in the ranks of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) of Hashim Salamat.

As for Governor Misuari, who was gifted with the governorship of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), has he "pacified" Basilan and Sulu? Nobody deserves the Nobel Peace Prize in this stupid situation, only the Kalabasa Award for Abject Failure.

Some people haven't been crying, however. They've been laughing all the way to the bank.

THE ROVING EYE . . . Talking about "The White Man's Burden," that asshole of a Czech Ambassador (whatsisname?) had the effrontery and arrogance to shout at Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Ramon Cardenas, head of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS), and insult him in front of Taipei Representative (Ambassador) Hsien-ching Chan and an entire roomful of startled and astonished guests last night in the Centennial Hall of the Manila Hotel. When he was introduced to Secretary Cardenas by Chan, the Czech envoy started berating the surprised Cardenas, calling him "the man who had destroyed Czech relations with the Philippines" and all sorts of insulting invectives. HOW DARE SOME PIPSQUEAK LAME EXCUSE FOR A DIPLOMAT WHO CRAWLED FROM UNDER A ROCK IN EASTERN EUROPE INSULT A RANKING OFFICIAL OF OUR PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC? -- In Manila, too, to add insult to injury! The heck with "good relations" with the Czech Republic! Even the Santo Niño de Praga would have kicked that insolent Ambassador in his nuts, gentle as the Holy Child is known to be. Where are you, Foreign Affairs Secretary Domingo Siazon, Jr.? The President, for that matter, should uphold his own chief of staff, Secretary Cardenas, by declaring that swaggering Czech sot non grata and bouncing him swiftly out of the Philippines. If the Czechs declare war on us, then let's prepare for that invasion from Lilliput. (After all, the major Czech contributions to the world were the invention of SEMTEX, the "terrorist" bomb of choice -- and, reluctantly admitted, a pretty good beer named Budweiser Budvar.) Otherwise, even if they shut down the Rizal portion of one of their provincial museums, it's no great loss. At least we could scoff at that deported Czech Ambassador as a "Bouncing Czech." It's no frivolous matter, though. In some countries I know, any diplomat who insulted a Cabinet official would have been frogmarched out of the room by the military or the police and shot in the courtyard. This oaf of a Czech should count his lucky stars that Cardenas is too polite, and over-civilized. But he would do well to look over his shoulder with more caution from now on: in Ilocoslovakia where Eki Cardenas comes from, like Sicily, disputes are settled with unlicensed firearms . . . Poor Cardenas should, perhaps, have heeded the warnings of Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji not to attend any ceremony involving the inauguration of the new Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian yesterday. In fact, even former Premier Li Peng told President Estrada that Beijing would remember the names of any Philippine official "or businessman" who went to Chen's inauguration in Taipei. When Estrada jokingly told President Jiang that an official, like the Labor Secretary, might have to attend the Taipei inaugural rites since there are more than a hundred thousand Filipinos employed in Taiwan, Jiang only half-jestingly replied that it wouldn't be amiss if that official happened "to arrive too late" for the ceremony. Since Cardenas was a member of the MECO board, the quasi-diplomatic entity we maintain as an only half-concealed government link with Taipei, he felt he had to attend the reception of "Ambassador" Chan yesterday, for Chan goes under the disguise of "Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines." That on Eki's part turned out to be a mistake -- for that's when he encountered the abusive Czech Ambassador. Sometimes, being too courteous and generous has its pitfalls. What was the Czech sore about? He has been going around town loudly blaming Cardenas for aborting what he called the "already arranged visit" of his Czech premier to Manila last year. The arrangement, it turned out, was only in the silly Ambassador's mind, since President Estrada himself had made it clear he wouldn't be in town or available at the time requested. Anyway, that touring Czech official had only intended to make Manila a side-trip in the course of a scheduled official visit to Beijing. As a longtime foreign correspondent and war correspondent, may I put forward the observation that governments are more usually careful and polite in dealing with countries where rampaging mobs have burned down an embassy or two. The "Filipino smile" and our pusong mamon culture, quite obviously, have their drawbacks.