It is still true that Washington remains the most important diplomatic posting as far as the Philippines is concerned. Who we appoint there will give an indication of how seriously we regard the conduct of our foreign policy. As far as I know there is still no appointment for the post. There were unconfirmed reports that Albert del Rosario, (who he?) was a strong candidate. I bumped into former Vice-President Emmanuel Pelaez at the victory party for Vice-President Teofisto Guingona, who doubles up as Secretary of Foreign Affairs for the Arroyo government. Still sprite at 80 plus, Mr. Pelaez sought me out that evening to tell me that there is no better candidate for the Washington post than Ambassador Alfonso Yuchengco. He rattled off the qualifications of Ambassador Yuchengco. But was he available, I asked. He did not answer me. For Pelaez there is no one else who can come up to Yuchengco’s qualifications for the post and how well the Philippines would be served if he were made the Arroyo government’s ambassador to Washington. He has the prestige, the connections, the money for an effective ambassadorship in this major political and economic post.
Mr. Pelaez’s ardent recommendation for Ambassador Yuchengco was conveyed to me way before the current imbroglio between the United States and China over the capture of the American plane. At the time, Mr. Yuchengco’s qualifications notwithstanding, I thought that the Washington appointment had no urgency and could be filled by any reputable businessman or politician with close ties to the Arroyo government. But with the looming difficulties between the US and China, the appointment of someone with the credentials of Ambassador Yuchengco has indeed become imperative.
Ambassador Yuchengco is at once the right man on the spot in Washington for the Philippines. He is a close friend of Prescott Bush, an uncle of President George W. Bush which means he would have personal access in the inner sanctum of the White House. I hear that he is also on a first name basis with US Vice-President Dick Cheney. This might sound shallow but in diplomatic circles, personal connections matter. Backdoor channels and informal briefings will serve the country more than any formal communiqué. On the other end, Mr. Yuchengco’s stint in China which he discharged so creditably, not to mention his being a Filipino Chinese, equips him with the sensitivity of a competent observer on crucial developments in the relations between two countries that could have serious repercussions on the Philippines.
It is tempting to deviate from the central issue in the May elections. As far as this column is concerned we cannot overstress the issue that we will not tolerate elected officials who misuse public office for private ends. Just because some pro-Erap senators are still in the magic 13 circle does not mean that we should abandon the 13-0 campaign. 13-0 is not about victory or defeat. 13-0 is a statement of principle.
The pro-Erap senatorial candidates should be shut out to demonstrate that governance should not be conducted the way Erap and his cohorts did. If we are to preserve democracy in this country, we must cultivate a more deserving opposition than the types and personalities who inhabit the Erap camp. We forget that we had to resort to extraordinary people power yet again not only to oust an erring president but to teach a lesson to senators who would betray their constitutional duty. The same senators who derailed the impeachment process are now seeking reelection. Neither are the others on the line-up exempt from their inexcusable endorsement of Erap. We must work as hard as we can to make sure that none of them win in May. That is the challenge.
But if we should fail let it not be said that those of us who supported EDSA 2 did not try hard enough. If we fail let it only means that we had underestimated the grip of corruption and bad governance on this country and that we would have to strengthen our resolve even more. 13-0 is EDSA 2 all over again albeit in a new battleground.
To find more clues to determine who was the mastermind of the Dacer-Corbito murders, perhaps it might help to pursue the investigation of the disappearance of Ed Bentain and to revisit the murder of Tuadles in a club that was said to be a haunt of the former president at the same time. Are there similarities in the cases? Who would have the motive in these cases? Who knows? Maybe an intrepid and resourceful investigator will find a link to all three.