Perhaps the Americans didn’t consult us either – what do you think?

It’s clear that Governor Parouk Hussin of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is not just irritated by the fact that he wasn’t consulted on the now-publicized plan of having American soldiers fight alongside Filipino soldiers against the Abu Sayyaf in his native province of Sulu. What’s useful about his outburst is that it has also revealed that in his heart he’s still a rebel.

Now – that’s interesting, even though not unexpected (to risk a double negative).

Parouk, a Tausog himself, was a former leader of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) – and, indeed, replaced the now-jailed Nur Misuari, the former MNLF Supremo, as ARMM governor (with the backing of the GMA government) – when Misuari "rebelled" anew and fell from grace. In fact, Hussin was the nominee of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to take over the Muslim autonomous region.

Why wasn’t he consulted about something drastic befalling his home province? It’s not beyond imagination that possibly he was regarded as a security risk, being sympathetic, if not to the ASG ruffians, at least to the Moro rebel movement.

Speaking at the Japanese Embassy on Roxas boulevard, after witnessing Japan’s grant of a $400 million scheme for the peace and stability campaign of Mindanao, Hussin warned of the "violent" Americans, who would be surely met by the counter-violence of his fierce Tausog compatriots. He declared that the Tausogs would give the Americans a big fight, since they are trained to be brave warriors and know the terrain.

Hussin repeated the Tausog boast, which I’ve heard many times in Sulu and in the surrounding archipelago, including Bongao, Ungus Matata, Sitangkai – and particularly in Patikul itself, the heartland of Moro resentment – that in Sulu they "don’t sing lullabies to our babies". What they sing to their babies is that they must grow up to be brave warriors bringing death and destruction to their enemies.

There. So, now you know why Governor Hussin wasn’t consulted.

On the other hand, Brother Parouk shouldn’t get his nose out of joint too much – because I’m not sure whether President Macapagal-Arroyo, our Commander-in-Chief, was consulted either, about the contemplated "combat role" of the incoming 1,700 US troops in the fight against terrorism.

Let’s not forget that George "Dubya" Bush, the Lone Ranger (it’s beginning to appear), comes from Texas, and is a ranchero whose food and drink were derived from Tex-Mex machismo.

Visiting Ambassador Frank G. Wisner, an old friend from the days when he was US Ambassador here in 1991-92 (and later US Undersecretary of State for National Security Affairs, 1992-93, and Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, 1993-94) asked me yesterday whether the Filipinos were opposed to the Americans sending troops to Sulu. I told Frank, "You bet". This is because the Americans boasted that they were coming here to "fight". We’re happy, of course, to get all the American help we can in our battle to crush the Abu Sayyaf kidnap-murder gang, and wipe out banditry in the region – but whoa, pardners. President GMA was embarrassed, and so were we (pious hypocrites that we sometimes are) when the Yanks bragged that they were going to do the fighting. Sanamagan.

Reminds me of the Vietnam war. Whenever besieged on all sides by "human sea" assaults by the Viet Cong, or North Vietnamese regulars, the American marine or army unit we were accompanying called for an "air strike" – we all held our collective breaths. For, more often than we wanted, the "air strike" fell on us. This was traditionally known as "friendly fire". (Sadly, it didn’t matter to those who died whether the fatal bullet, bomb or napalm came from friend or foe.)

That’s what has happened, alas, in the countdown to the Sulu Expedition. We’re being riddled in public by "friendly fire". And it’s coming from those blabbermouth, eager-beavers in the Pentagon.

* * *

I’ve heard that our government has put the operation "on hold", pending clarification of "everything" from Washington, DC. What this means exactly, I don’t really know – when you’ve already got troops at sea (are they enroute already?) they’ve got to find a beach somewhere.

Government sources assure me that Defense Secretary Angelo T. Reyes, now in the US capital for a dizzying round of meetings, will "clarify" matters soon. Indeed, last night (1330 hours, DC time) he was scheduled to meet US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, at her NSC office in the White House. Then he was supposed to meet with Undersecretary of State Richard Armitage at the US State Department at 2201C st., NW.

I understand that Ms. Rice, who’s usually at Mr. Bush’s elbow, will give Reyes and his "caravan" of aides and one USEC, a "heads up" briefing on the Iraqi situation (and a possible "timetable"?) so Reyes can convey this confidential report to President GMA when he returns on Monday.

Reyes is apparently a busy bee in his Thursday-Friday schedule of meetings. Last Thursday he had a dialogue with the US/Association of Southeast Asia Nations Business Council at the Willard InterContinental, then a meeting with the Washington Post editorial board in the Post’s 1150 15th st., NW, headquarters.

Yesterday, he was slated to confer with Senator John Warner (Republican, Virginia), then Deputy Secretary Gordon England of Homeland Security, next with Senator Dianne Feinstein (a former Mayor of San Francisco, I recall) in her Hart Senate office, and finally with Congressman Dan Rohrabacher (California), a frequent Manila visitor and, in my estimation, a friendly loudmouth.

Trailing behind Reyes, I’m told, are our Ambassador to Washington, Albert del Rosario, his Asst. Secretary Alex Melchor III, and officers identified as J2/J3 and J4.

Hope they don’t do any jaywalking – and don’t "give in" so readily to American importunings. We have to our "allies", the Americans, constantly that we’re not a mental colony – even when we have, in common with many nations, our begging bowl held out.

The latest issue of TIME Magazine (March 3 edition) has a very timely and dramatic cover. It portrays Uncle Sam pointing at the reader, and asking in bold letters: "DO YOU WANT THIS WAR?"

It referred, of course, to the Iraq War. In the case of Mindanao, sad to say, we’ve no choice. The war has long been waged on us by the Abus, the MILF, the "resurrected" MNLF, the Lost Commands, and the New People’s Army.

A large swathe of Mindanao was plunged into darkness when MILF rebels, as might have been expected, blew up transmission towers and pylons. Repairs have been made, emergency measures taken, and electricity restored for the most part within a night’s and a day’s frenzied effort. Of course, the saboteurs will strike again. A war or a rebellion is not a picnic. We must fight on to secure our homeland. That’s the long and short of it.

We’re not waging a war of religion. We’re fighting to preserve our Republic. I’m surprised that some in politics and in media don’t think so, crying out to "stop the war". Many of them probably don’t live on the wild frontier, or in Mindanao.

* * *

I’m a bit concerned. In appointing her Malacañang Chief of Staff Rigoberto "Bobbi" Tiglao concurrently chairman of the Presidential Anti-Graft Campaign (PAGC), did the President overlook the fact that Tiglao, as a Palace top functionary, would be reviewing his own decisions as PAGC chief? Both judge and jury and review board then? Executioner, too?

I’m certainly no fan of PAGC Chairman Dario Rama, whose integrity I never questioned but whose effectiveness wasn’t something to crow about, while Tiglao is an old friend and a bright and earnest gentleman. This new move by GMA to name him to do the "lifestyle" checks on government officials would have been welcome were it not for this obvious conflict. Under GMA’s own Executive Order No. 12 creating the PAGC, that body’s decisions are reviewable by the Office of the President. Giving Tiglao the imprimatur to review his own rulings is what bothers me and, I believe, many others.

The relief of Rama, of course, was only a matter of time. His "mistake" was in overlooking the fact that, structurally, the PAGC is directly under the Office of he President. Rama fondly believed, it seems, that like the Office of the Ombudsman, which is an independent constitutional body, his office could do whatever it wants, such as announcing to media his actions as well as projected actions even before he began an investigation. Or even before he received the "evidence" on cases endorsed to him by Malacañang.

Did Rama want to use his position as a catapult to the Supreme Court, as some sources allege? Doesn’t appear likely now, in the light of yesterday’s events. He confided to a friend that if he didn’t get appointed to the High Tribunal, he’d just go home to Davao City. Is he now packing for Davao?

This is a government noted for sudden and sometimes inexplicable reversals of fortune, so don’t wave "goodbye" yet to this fellow, or hallelujah to Bobbi. There’s many a slip twixt cup and lip.

As for the coming GMA pilgrimage in April (Apil Fool’s Day?) to Washington DC and a chat with Phone Pal, Dubya? Hope she’s got set in her mind what she wants – and what she must not give away.