GMA must not allow the carpers to ‘win’

We notice that in her last press conference, the President lost her cool. If she keeps on having to spend so much of her time defending herself and her husband, the First Gentleman, then she’ll get very little constructive work done. It’s her fault, however. Having created the impression that’s she’s already running full tilt for reelection in 2004, she’s drawn the political furies on her head.

Months ago, I advised her to forget about 2004. What she had to do was be the best President she could ever be in the two and a half years given by People Power, the military, and God to her, and that record would remain in the people’s minds and affection forever. A second term in 2004? That, too, is possible, but not unless she delivers from 2001 to 2004.

Our hero and martyr, Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., used to say: "A man can plan his political career all the way up to the Senate. Anything beyond that would be a gift from God."

It seems that the pebble in GMA’s shoe, the burr in her blanket is this loquacious woman, a former nun, Leftist, and sister of Father Ed Olaguer of the anti-Marcos "Light a Fire" movement. Why should she worry about Linda Olaguer-Montayre, anyway? What is this People’s Consultative Assembly the woman says she represents? Who elected them to be consulted by us, the people? Forget her, GMA. Just go ahead and do your job.

A Chief Executive will always have critics, detractors, accusers and men and women who generally dislike her. What does La Gloria want to be? The undisputed winner in a Mrs. All-Popular contest? That’s worse than the Reyna ng Vicks, the vaporub queen who was selected in your mother’s time by clipped and sent-in ballots. Don’t be such a reyna, Gloria.

The cynic and curmudgeon H.L. Mencken once quipped that "democracy is the art of running the circus from the monkey cage." GMA must not let her critics and foes make a monkey of her.

To this, may I add a word from Elbert Hubbard: "To escape criticism – do nothing, say nothing, be nothing."

The late Dictator Ferdinand Marcos once remarked that if a tree wasn’t bearing good fruit, people wouldn’t throw stones at it. In his case, I wouldn’t waste my efforts throwing stones. I’d cut down the tree.

A newspaper banner headline yesterday: "Peace with NDF soon."

Don’t hold your breath.

* * *

What’s this about some Metro Manila policemen being up in arms over a crackdown by Gen. Edgardo Aglipay on undisciplined cops in his National Capital Region? Whaat? The bitching cops claim Aglipay is being too harsh in slapping demerits on those who’re absent from flag ceremonies or roll calls, and "exiling" habitués of successive offenses to the boondocks.

Those bellyaching cops ought to be fired. There’s no place in uniform for slackers. (The problem is that this type of sloppy cops is the one who becomes a hold-up and robbery gang member, a kidnapper, and a hitman, unless he’s moonlighting in those "jobs" already.)

Aglipay, a fine officer and straight as a dye, is earnestly trying to return our policemen, once deserving of the title "Manila’s Finest", to the old luster of honor and discipline. On the other hand, the deterioration of a policeman’s morals and rectitude is reflected in his increasing shabbiness in deportment and appearance, and his descent into slovenly ways. How many times have we been disgusted to see policemen on duty slouching around, their collars unbuttoned, their bellies bulging. It’s time for a change.

My late grandfather-in-law, Don Manuel Quiogue, used to be a police chief in a small suburban municipality. In those days, he cut a fine figure. Policemen wore sebastopols,those high-crowned sun helmets (similar to the fireman hat of today, but lighter and khaki cloth covered). Their uniform tunics had collars that buttoned all the way up the neck. Did the heat bother them? Surely, it did. But they wore their uniforms with pride – and effectiveness. Mamang pulis was always the man to turn to, or greet heartily as the defender of the neighborhood. Nowadays, when they spot a policeman, many people are afraid. Their greatest fear is that they’ll be "framed" for drug-possession or some other crime by an extorting cop.

Aglipay is 100 percent correct to bear down on his men. If they can’t stand that heat, let them get out of the kitchen. Thousands of would-be rookies are just begging to take their place!

* * *

We’re glad that renegade ex-Governor Nur Misuari is in detention in Malaysia and that he will, hopefully, be returned to us so he can face the music. However, since the Malaysians are keeping the location of his imprisonment secret, one wonders whether he’s really in jail – or enjoying the comforts of a 5-star hotel. Oh, well. As long as they keep him on ice in their country.

But what’s this? The rival Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has stuck its nose into the matter. MILF Chieftain Hashim Salamat and the rebel group’s spokesman Eid Kabulu have asked Abdelouhed Belkziz, secretary-general of the 56-member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), that Misuari be permitted to go to Jakarta to answer rebellion charges against him at an OIC meeting there.

This is sheer cheek and stupidity. By launching attacks against 19 police posts here, resulting in the deaths of more than 119 persons, Misuari betrayed public trust (he was still Governor of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao) and broke a peace treaty he had signed with former President Fidel V. Ramos which included a vow to respect our Constitution. Misuari committed his crimes here, not in Indonesia or some other OIC country. He must be made to answer for them here. In our courts. Before our justice system.

The OIC has no business meddling in a sovereign Republic like ours, just as its member – states would reject our meddling in their own domestic affairs.

Why are Salamat and Kabalu now being so solicitous of that fellow Misuari from whom they broke away many years ago because of acute dislike and distrust. This may go to show that Muslims stick together, no matter where, no matter what. And, by that token, their enemy is the so-called "infidel" who doesn’t belong to their monolithic faith, meaning us Christmas and believers in other religions.

* * *

Perhaps the Israelis are right in battering the Palestinians mercilessly these days. The Jews know that for all their fine rhetoric about peace talks, the Palestinians and other Arabs hate them and their ultimate goal is to push the Israelis into the sea.

I don’t know whether they’re going about their present strategy in the correct way. By hitting many of PLA Chairman Yasser Arafat’s police buildings with gunships and rockets in order to "compel" Arafat to arrest 33 Hamas hardliners and a hundred other suspects behind the suicide-bombings, how can they expect Arafat to do this when they’re savaging his police force and sharply, possibly fatally eroding his authority? If Arafat falls, then there will be nobody to talk "peace" with.

This would indicate that the Israelis are weary of all that peace talk and the peace process. They’ve stopped talking — and have declared war.

In his recent updated autobiography WARRIOR (Simon & Shuster, New York, London, Sydney, Tokyo, Singapore 2001), Israel’s Prime Minister and former General Ariel Sharon wrote on page 543: "For myself, I begin with the basic conviction that Jews and Arabs can live together. I have repeated that at every opportunity not for journalists and not for popular consumption, because I have never believed differently or thought differently, from my childhood on. I am not afraid of Arabs. I feel I can live with them . . . I know we are both inhabitants of this land."

Has Sharon revised his view today? The next few weeks will provide the answer.