Truth & consequence

Ouch! It hurts when a foreigner makes comments on our stinking garbage and hole-y streets, and graft and corruption being a major reason for the Philippine economy’s state of stagnation. Remember how a female Hollywood star became persona-non-grata for saying Manila is a dirty city? How strange that we complain about our dirt and garbage but are hurt when foreigners are quoted in the media as saying our cities are infested with flies and mosquitoes.

The talk during the past few days has been the declaration of US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone before businessmen last week that widespread corruption was scaring away investment in the Philippines. Media raised a howl, government officials, too, and self-appointed critics who said that the American diplomat should not make a public declaration about the moral bankruptcy of the Philippine government.

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It came as a surprise, indeed, that Mr. Ricciardone, in light of his position, would make such a declaration. But personally, I don’t feel offended that he would hand out our dirty linen to dry. Perhaps diplomats should be more circumspect in speech? I’m sure Mr. Ricciardone knows that. But he’s right in calling a spade a spade.

Why close his mouth about the main ingredient in driving away investors being graft and corruption in high places? He told his audience that the No. 1 barrier to foreign investment is "corruption, not just regarding the courts but also officials outside: the judiciary," he said, adding that "foreign investors have complained about that to me and other ambassadors here – we have a real problem here."

This is a case of truth vs. consequence, of a foreign diplomat being chastised for speaking the truth.

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No less than President Arroyo admitted the day following the ambassador’s declaration of corruption driving investors away. Every time she and the ambassador talked, she said, he mentioned the problem to her.

Guillermo Luz, executive secretary of the Makati Business Club, also said over ABS-CBN that President Arroyo was taking positive steps to fight corruption, but those steps are being hampered by serious corruption within the government.

He said that a survey showed that MBC members perceived corruption as having been curtailed in several agencies, except in the Philippine National Police, Congress and in local governments, which were seen to be riddled with graft.

The Supreme Court spokesperson also said that steps were being taken by the judiciary to remove those in robes charged with anomalous practices.

So, you see, we have authorities admitting that there indeed exists corruption in government agencies. But we get mad when foreign dignitaries point such things to us. What has happened is a wake-up call for all of us Filipino citizens to help people in government who want reforms, among them ridding our agencies of curruption.

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The celebration of the 34th anniversary of the founding of the Socialist Republic of Iraq held at the Dusit Hotel in Makati Wednesday was attended by ambassadors and other dignitaries from the embassies of Middle East governments and two European embassies. Understandably, because of the American government sanctions against Iraw, no American was present at the cocktail party.

Officers of the Iraqi embassy greeting the guests were headed by the affable Charge d’Affaires, a.i., Abdul Karim M. Shwaikh and his lovely wife; Second Secretary Husham Hussain, Financial and Administrative Attache Ahmad Sadala Ali, and Attache Aiad M. Ali Abdul Qader. A feast of Arabic dishes was prepared for the guests. For ceremonies, Mr. Shwaik, Archbishop Antonio Franco, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, and former Philippine Ambassador to Iraq Renaldo Parungao stood on stage as the respective national anthems of The Philippines and Iraq were played. There were no speeches.

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In hushed tones, the guests talked about the topic of the day – the declaration of American Ambassador. He should have been more circumspect, they said. They also talked about the easing out of former Foreign Affairs Secretary Teofisto Guingona Jr. as "being unkind", and that he should have been treated more "fairly and decently".

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House Speaker Joe de Venecia was his amiable self at the Iraq reception, and was seen talking at length with Rep. Satur Ocampo. Also around were Parouk Husein, Governor of Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao; Habib Mudjahab Hashim, Undersecretary-Executive Director of the Office of Muslim Affairs, and Saeed A. Daof, Emissary Extraordinary and MILF Chairman Hashim Salamat, and chair of the MILF Economic Development Committee as well as director general of the Center for the Promotion of Peace and Development of Mindanao.

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The Iraqi reception was a feast for those who savor Arabian dishes. For rice, one had a choice of Beriani, Kouzi and Kaabsa rice with lamb meat. Appetizers were Moutabal (ground eggplant with tahina), Hummos tahini (garbanzos with tahina), Babaqanous (eggplant with tomatoes), Taboule (a salad of parsley, tomatoes and onions), an Arabic salad of fresh vegetables and Sambosa (ground beef with vegetables). There were shish kebab of ground beef, Tandour chicken and grilled chicken. There were tables of dishes from other countries, too.