Paying my dues

My family and I lived in London for twenty years. As exiles it was the only home my children ever knew. We came in 1971, just before martial law when my husband’s head, as vice president and general manager of Meralco Securities (now First Philippine Holdings) was thrown in the bargain for peace between the Marcoses and the Lopezes. He had just completed one of the last financing deals from a consortium of banks led by Grindlays Bank in London just before the Marcos-Lopez partnership began to crack. The unwritten and untold reason was he was asked to leave by the new owners who happened to dislike the unauthrorized biography of Imelda Marcos. The Untold Story of Imelda Marcos became a cause célèbre at the time. That is the background of how London became my second home. It is time I pay my dues and return British kindness for sheltering us during those difficult years. This is by way of announcing that I have accepted the job to be editor-in-chief of a magazine called Quality Britain which would highlight the strength and expertise that the British can offer the Philippines. The picture would not be complete unless the reverse is also true, acquiring presence for Filipino business in the UK.

I am sorry that former Finance Secretary Jose T. Pardo is unable to sleep at night thinking "how precarious our economy" is. He fears the "specter of collapse". Pardo is a good friend and I hope he will not take offence if I said he should have been sleepless earlier in the day. Talking of missed opportunities, had Pardo acted more patriotically in Erap’s time he could have led a mass resignation of cabinet members and made EDSA 2 unnecessary. That would have strengthened our democratic institutions without resorting to street protests. EDSA 1 was wonderful but it should not be a habit. But to go back to Pardo.

He was one of the few you could talk to during the dark days of Erap’s rule.As Asia editor of the London-based FIRST Magazine I suggested we use the offer of my publisher, Rupert Goodman, to launch a unique occasion for chairmen and CEOs of the international investment community to project continuity in the Philippines.. If Erap was now president, FVR started some good policies on which we could build on and send a signal to investors that these would continue. The plan was to do a special issue on the Philippines and launch it at the Ritz in London with a gala dinner, all expenses to be paid for by FIRST. FVR would speak for the outgoing administration and Pardo for the incoming. It would have been a sensational debut in the City of London for the Philippines as a favored place for investors. Pardo was optimistic this would be a unifying move and boost the Philippines in the international investment community. But in the end, he told me it was not possible. Other Erap boys rejected any continuity that included working with FVR.

On another score, I was surprised that KNP vice presidential candidate Loren Legarda has now come out strongly for federalism, which means constitutional reform. In her mad rush to be in front of the line, she goes mouthing words she should have tackled when she was majority floor leader if she were really sincere. At the time, it would have been relevant but it would not promote her ambition. It is in this light that her support for federalism should be seen, not as she says because "it would boost local autonomy and stimulate grass-roots initiative for economic and social development". Above all it is politics. Everything that is said in an electoral campaign should be taken with a grain of salt. But then I can understand why she should promote federalism especially in Mindanao where the idea has caught fire. I cannot understand why she talks of it only now when constitutional reformers saw her more than once to calendar a plenary debate on the merits of federalism which could only be done if the constitution was changed. It was in her hands to be able to bring that debate onto the floor but after meeting with her and Senate President Frank Drilon, I saw nothing that would indicate any interest in federalism or constitutional reform for that matter. In fact, I felt like a leper they wanted to dismiss as quickly as possible.

Why she should suddenly see the light of day is part of her shallow politicking. A foreign diplomat who heard a private conversation among senators on the shift to parliamentary federal was aghast the only issue that mattered was their personal interest. What is in it for me? I am just as disappointed with Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr., whom she calls the "foremost advocate of federalism." He, too, knew the urgency of a shift to parliamentary federal but would not lift a finger when it came to seeing it happen in the 13th Congress. Voters must begin to realize that politicians take them for a ride during campaigns. Nothing can be believed about campaign statements. It is when they have been elected that the problem begins. Thanks but no thanks to both Legarda and Pimentel for pushing the federal system while campaigning in Mindanao.

We are back to what’s wrong with politics in this country. Under the present system there is no accountability nor transparency and campaigns are next to useless without programs that could be verified. That goes for Loren Legarda’s alleged support for federalism. which she said "could help solve the insurgency problem in Mindanao, while injecting more stimulants for economic development in the various regions of the country." Didn’t she know that before she became a vice presidential candidate? It is too much to believe that she should suddenly understand that a federal system will give more autonomy for regions to shape their economic, social, cultural and financial development. What I want to hear from her is concrete action on how we will achieve federalism. She has not said anything on how this will be done. Mindanaon federalists must question candidates who claim they are for federalism. They should put them on notice that unless they hear something more concrete than mere speeches, they will not vote for the candidate..

Power lunch. I had what society writers call a power lunch recently with Secretary of Foreign Affairs Delia Albert as guest of honor hosted by former Ambassador to Spain Isabel Wilson. It was good to hear first hand how Sec. Albert met with US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of State Colin Powell. The highlight of her trip was her speech at the United Nations where she batted for the enjoyment and protection of all human rights. She had special words for women who suffer violence in certain countries. "We want to further develop policies in accordance with the Beijing Platform of action to intervene against violence against women migrant countries."

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