Wow, Mali!

I don’t think one should fault a person for taking back something she said or to undo anything if only to correct an error, especially the ones we call honest mistakes.

But if that person commits a big blunder, or an embarrassing boo-boo, and it frequently happens to the most powerful person in this country — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo — I don’t think it is trivial pursuit or nitpicking to criticize her for it. Especially if such a grievous mistake, for the nth time, was done in apparent haste to win "pogi" points for her growing unpopular administration.

The comical arrest over the weekend of Anthony Gara, who was mistaken for Abu Sayyaf leader Radulan Sahiron alias Kumander Putol, was not funny at all. Such a serious lapse was no longer an isolated case because similar incidents have happened before.

Let me mention one of the most ignominious in this collection of the "Wow, mali!" of President Arroyo. In July 2002 while I, along with Palace reporters were with her in a provincial sortie in Mindanao, a visibly elated President Arroyo broke to us the news of the supposed arrest of Pentagon kidnap-for-ransom leader, Faisal Marohombhasar. The information was fed to her reportedly by over-excited officials of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) who were with us in that provincial sortie. However, the report later turned out to be untrue.

Red-faced by this blunder, Palace communications officials used this as reason and excuse from then on to filter and sanitize all information before it reaches the President and before she makes any official statements.

But the situation then, or rather the problem it seemed and apparently still is, is that Mrs. Arroyo has her own network of intelligence informants reporting directly to her without passing through any screening process.

So I was not surprised at all when the President was recently quoted by our media colleague, Ramon Tulfo, having blurted over lunch with him about the military intelligence information implicating ABS-CBN news anchor Julius Babao in allegedly aiding terrorist suspect Dawud Santos to post bail. Of course, it was a "raw information" that was fed to the President by operatives of the Intelligence Services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP). Rear Adm. Tirso Danga, head of ISAFP, subsequently clarified it was a case of "circumstantial" incidents involving Babao which in the perception of intelligence operatives got the TV news anchor into trouble in pursuit of his "scoop" or exclusive story on Dawud.

Mrs. Arroyo, therefore, should not look too far from home to unmask elements that destabilize her administration.

President Arroyo and her speechwriters should stop blaming media for "negative" or bad news that get into the front pages or headlines as adding to the destabilization attempts against her administration. As her predecessor’s favorite line when he made unintended boo-boos, deposed President Joseph Estrada waxed the Filipino adage, "tao lamang po" or roughly translated, to err is human.

But I think it was more of a calculated risk, not a mistake, when the President declared last week she supports a "reasonable" legislated wage hike by Congress. She did not mention any figures or numbers of what she believes is this "reasonable" wage hike. As later developments unfolded, it turned out, Mrs. Arroyo apparently did not consult anyone yet when she first announced it.

As an economist, but more of an astute politician, President Arroyo pulled out of thin air the idea of a new legislated wage hike. This will effectively amend the existing minimum wage law to adjust it to higher level and hopefully prop up the economic well-being of Filipino wage earners amid the series of oil price increases this year and compounded lately by the implementation of the expanded value added tax (EVAT) on power and energy products and services.

On the other hand, existing jobs are imperilled by any new increases in labor and other production costs. Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas came out with a policy position wherein she does not find it advisable to have new legislated wage hike. It was really a shot in the dark for Mrs. Arroyo to push for a new legislated wage hike when the tripartite regional wage boards (RWBs) have effectively de-politicized this highly emotional issue.

But last Monday, President Arroyo reiterated her support for a legislated wage hike in a prepared speech before officials and members of the various Filipino and foreign businessmen’s groups during their joint gathering at the Hotel Intercontinental in Makati City.

What happened in the subsequent closed-door talks with the business leaders after her speech in that occasion appeared to have changed her mind against new legislated wage hike. This is if we are to believe the clarifications hastily made to the media by Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila in behalf of Mrs. Arroyo after that meeting.

The Palace, through presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye, issued an official statement yesterday to confirm and clarify that indeed the President supports a possible amendment of the minimum wage law that will transform the RWB into "strong empowered" tripartite body to entertain wage hike petitions, not just once, but even twice a year if need be.

As per their record, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) leader Elmer Labor claimed labor got a total of P55 increase in minimum wage during Estrada’s term compared to just P25 under the present dispensation. Wasn’t it that KMU led the left-leaning groups in demonizing Estrada during those times? So what are they telling us now?

Is Mrs. Arroyo playing naughty to get back at her foes in the Makati Business Club (MBC) when she openly batted for new round of legislated wage hike? And now, she has back-pedaled. Is she trying to do a Machiavellian "divide and rule," driving a wedge in the ouster moves against her by the existing unholy alliance between MBC and left-leaning groups like the KMU? Just asking.

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