Not ‘Noli’ Me Tangere? It’s no Rizalian plot

When Charles Derbyshire translated our national hero Jose Rizal’s first revolutionary novel into English, he renamed it The Social Cancer. Rizal’s second novel of protest, El Filibusterismo, Mr. D translated into The Reign of Greed.

The original title Rizal had given his novel, which he completed in Germany, and printed in Berlin in February 1886 was Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) derived from the words attributed to the Risen Christ when He emerged from the Tomb, according to the gospel of St. Luke.

"No me toques" in Spanish introduced the travails of Crisostomo Ibarra, an educated mestizo, and assailed the abuses of Friar rule. It also created the romantic, ill-starred "Maria Clara" as the image of the Filipina.

In any event, Rizal was executed on December 30, 1896, by a firing squad under sentence of death for treason imposed by the Spanish colonial government.

The popular nickname of our Vice-President "Noli" de Castro has nothing to do with Rizal’s seditious Noli Me Tangere, but it’s the popular name these days. I saw one newspaper headline yesterday which blared forth: "Cory, Rosales Seek Meeting with Noli," giving the impression that there’s a stampede to suck up to – or get to know – Veep Noli because he might be the "next" President if GMA "resigns" or is evicted. Are former President Cory Aquino and Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales "courting" Noli, or what?

True, the Veep is next in line, one heartbeat away, et cetera. But what’s intriguing is that there’s a conscious effort to quantum-boost Noli and pit him against GMA.

At the US Embassy Fourth of July reception I was greeted by Vice-President Noli, who approached me with a wide smile and said: "Max, look – I don’t look hungry!" This was in response to an earlier column in which I had said that Noli "Magandang Gabi, Bayan" was obviously hungering for the Presidency.

We chatted cheerfully for more than ten minutes amidst all that throng (everybody in town seemed to be there at the US Embassy revels), posed for photos arms around each other, with the Veep assuring me that he was foursquare behind the President. When our Executive Editor Amy Pamintuan, Associate Editor Joanne Ramirez and others came up and impishly inquired, "How’s the controversial Vice-President?" Noli quipped: "There’s no controversy, it’s only Max who’s trying to make me controversial!"

As ever, Noli was sartorially elegant, in a tan suit and bright red and brown necktie. Being a Vice-President to a President under fire, as La Gloria herself knows so well from personal experience, is a great burden – and a great temptation.

But let’s leave it at that.

* * *

It was a smart move for the embattled President GMA to have broken precedent to go to the Fourth of July celebration in the American Embassy on Roxas Boulevard (formerly Dewey Boulevard, if you’ll recall). She swept in with her small entourage, escorted by Foreign Affairs Secretary Bert Romulo, to the delight of US Chargés d’Affaires Joseph Mussomeli, who’s leaving his post here on August 5 to return to Washington DC, to be briefed, then sworn in as the next US Ambassador to Cambodia.

La Presidenta didn’t give a speech, leaving the remarks and the toast to "Philippine American Friendship Day" (which coincides with US Independence Day) to Secretary Bert Romulo – a task he performed eloquently. After toasting her faraway friend, President George W. Bush, the American people, Musso himself (no relation to Mussolini), La Gloria departed with a broad smile, waving and shaking hands all the way back to the door. The act of making a cameo appearance at the Glorious Fourth celebration last Monday at least served to refute allegations made by some, including we hear by her own former National Security Adviser, Parañaque Congressman Roilo Golez (2nd Dist.), that the Americans were ready to junk GMA and back up a "new" manok. What gives Golez some credence among the Americans is the fact that he graduated from the US Naval Academy and was an Annapolis classmate of the recently retired CINCPAC Commander (Commander-in-Chief, US Pacific Area Command) Admiral Tom Fargo.

Well, GMA stole a march on her detractors by going to America’s big bash, and even murmuring (I think) under her breath the words of The Star Spangled Banner as it was sung by Mussomeli’s attractive young daughter Alexis and a chorus after the stirring entry of the Colors, the Philippine and American Flag borne by US Marines in their familiar dark-blue dress uniforms. What was interesting to note is that Alexis and the chorus went on to sing the second stanza of that American anthem by Francis Scott Key, which is not always rendered.

It contains for an embattled USA (under attack in Iraq, Afghanistan, and in its own press) the significant lines about their being victorious "for our cause it is just" and concludes with . . . "And the Star Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave, o’er the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave."

This reminds me of the days when we were covering the terrible Tet Offensive in Vietnam. US troops, Army of South Vietnam soldiers, civilians, and of course many attacking Viet Cong and North Vietnamese were dying everywhere in those harsh weeks of fighting in February and March 1968. With our "DOD" (Department of Defense) passes, we journalists and news photographers, TV cameramen, etc. could go almost everywhere – many journalists died, too.

One day, two of us passed by a US Marine camp and I noticed some of the Jarheads watching a replay of the old television series about World War II in Europe, Combat, one of my own favorites in years gone by. In surprise, I asked one of the grunts watching the TV show: "Don’t you have more than a bellyfull of combat right here in Vietnam? Why are you still interested in that old Combat TV series?"

To which he shrugged and retorted: "That was a war we won!"

Will GMA win this war? That’s the question. Only if she hangs tough, doesn’t trust the wrong people, as she’s done and does something decisive, not pandering to everybody – especially those in her coterie, and her family, who have done her in. Aside from that, not being one of her advisers, I say not.

* * *

Of course, GMA’s generals, from the military to the police, are swearing undying loyalty to her. But it would be wise to keep an eye on the younger officers, from the rank of Captain to Major, to Colonel – meaning those who command combat units, especially battalions and brigades.

And why has everybody "forgotten" Senator and ex-Presidential candidate Panfilo "Ping" Lacson? General Ping Lacson hails from the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1971 – the same class as former Senator and ex-RAM Putschist (Col.) Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan – and the embarrassing General Carlos Garcia. When Ping was PNP Chief, he was tough and effective. He’s still being harassed by the government on the old Kuratong Baleleng issue, but he’s got guts, backbone, and charisma. Mind you, neither did he spent much of his suspected millions of pesos in campaign funds during his lost campaign.

Lacson, I’m informed, is moving like a submarine, and is admired by many of the younger officers. During the campaign, he made sense in his speeches. If FPJ and Lacson had joined forces, instead of being at loggerheads to the very end, who knows what might have happened?

I think we should check out if that "report" about the latest Pulse Asia Survey is correct, that as far as Metro Manila is concerned, Lacson has the highest approval rating. For what?

These are interesting times.