The Americans are right in charging that we’re not stopping human traffickers

First, let me say that it would be wrong, and incredibly stupid, for the United States Government and the US military to whisk the six US Marines facing rape or rape "conspiracy" charges away to their home base in Okinawa.

Keep the suspects detained in their Embassy lock-up, or within our reach, pending possible trial in court, that’s what I’d say. Even if under the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), the Americans may waffle over handing their accused servicemen over to be slapped into one of our jails, they must show their respect and goodwill by not so obviously speeding their boys to "safety." Back in their Okinawa base, they’re home free. We would have to fight our way through an entire Marine Division to get them back if they have to face our justice, and that’s not an appetizing prospect.

Just ask the irate Okinawans and Japanese. The US Marines captured Okinawa 60 years ago – and never left. American forces continue to occupy much of Okinawa, and even sassily give the Japanese a multibillion dollar bill to subsidize their presence.

Sus, the Japanese have been hinting to us they would give us a billion bucks in aid if we only gave the Americans a "base" in the Philippines – like, uh, GenSan, so they could get the Yanks to quit Okinawa and move down here. General Santos City and Saranggani Bay, by coincidence, are in depth of water and mountain-protected aspect almost a mirror image of the lost base in Subic where aircraft carriers could be berthed virtually at dockside, while the international airport there, constructed by US AID incidentally, is almost as good as the "lost" Clark Field. However, our current Constitution forbids this development – perhaps that’s why the controversial Venable Contract wittingly, not unwittingly, included a fillip about "advising" on Charter Change. Who was really behind that strange arrangement? A former top government official with clandestine links to Carlyle, that Republican group – similar to the Texas interests of the Bush-Cheney bunch – which deals in armaments? If this rumor is true, then it’s no wonder Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales who vowed in Davao he still has GMA’s confidence, is keeping his mouth zipped.

To repeat: the Americans involved must be kept here until the Subic rape case is resolved.

It’s not enough for US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission and Political Counselor, our friend Scott Bellard, to promise that the military men in the US Embassy’s custody will be "made available" during the preliminary investigation Nov. 23 and 29 in the sala of Olongapo City Prosecutor Prudencio Jalandoni. The Marines must geographically remain within our territorial limits, so, if the Philippine Government demands custody of the "suspects" should they be formally charged in court and any arrest warrants are issued on them, they can conveniently be surrendered to our justice system. How will our sheriffs serve those warrants of arrest at the gates of a Marine Camp, bristling with armor, gunships and armaments in Okinawa?

Remember, there was even a time when Gen. Douglas MacArthur, believing himself the Shogun of Japan and South Korea tried to defy US President Harry S. Truman, his own commander-in-chief, and was forced by an irate (and quite justified Harry) to step down and out – and, as an Old Soldier, fade away. MacArthur, whom we Filipinos adore, although he got a rousing ovation from US Congress, had nothing left in life for him but sit down and write his poignant Memories and memoirs. He didn’t even, unlike Ike, get to run for President.

As for our court warrant-servers, they might run into a Marine Camp Commander with a MacArthur complex. The Leathernecks, Jarheads, Gyrines, whatever you call them, and their Gunnies, have the concept that as super-warriors of a super-power, they are above all laws, sons of guns who live by the gun and fight America’s battles with only one aim in mind, kill the sonafabitches who they perceive to be America’s enemies.

No, sir. Innocent or guilty, keep them here – where we can keep an eye on them until the matter is settled.

The Americans may find us annoying, but when all is said and done, with a rising China and an aging Japan, and Taiwan (their ward) embattled, they need us to be friendly in this neck of the woods.

They used to treat us like their Little Browns because we used to brown-nose them shamelessly, hoping for a visa to Disneyland (now in Hong Kong). But there are times when they glimpse the fact that "Flips" are no longer brown, but increasingly burnt up.

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It has been confirmed in Washington DC as we revealed in this corner three months ago that Ambassador Kristie Anne Kenney, currently their envoy to Ecuador, will be sent here as the first woman US Ambassador to the Philippines. Although Kenney seems a light-weight, she is US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice’s choice. Whether this is a sign that Condi hates GMA, or that she likes Kenney and trusts her, will soon be apparent in the new year.

Kenney, it’s obvious, will be tougher on us for the continued Philippine indifference to stopping human trafficking, i.e. the exploitation and betrayal for sex purposes of minors and women. The same Deputy Chief of Mission Scott Bellard, whose role is more important than it sounds, issued a not even thinly-veiled warning the other day that unless the US sees more progress in the prosecution and conviction of human traffickers in the Philippines this year, this will result in serious sanctions from the US government and our downgrading to Tier 3 Watch List category.

Bellard declared last Tuesday that the Philippines remains a source, transit and destination country for trafficked men, women and children. Bellard recalled that although the Philippines approved Republic Act 9208 to bring the worst trafficking offenders to justice, the lack of convictions up to now led the US government to retain this country in the Tier 2 Watch List for non-compliance to the 2003 US Anti-Trafficking law. In fact, our Foreign Affairs Secretary Bert Romulo had pledged the government would detail a special court to fast track the trial of more than 400 illegal recruiters arrested by the Anti-Illegal Recruitment Task Force (PAIRTF) and to ensure their early conviction.

What has happened, alas, if DFA Secretary Romulo – and the President for that matter – don’t know it, the big traffickers have not been prosecuted, but it is, in fact, the two-fisted head of the PAIRTF, Director Reynaldo H. Jaylo, who is being persecuted.

Captain Jaylo’s crime is that he was too successful in cracking down on the illegal recruiters and exploiters. The anti-illegal recruitment group, PAIRTF, had been created by virtue of Presidential Executive Order 325 signed by GMA on July 9, 2004. It was promised an initial budget of P10 million, with personnel recruited from the Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation, and other government agencies.

The two-gun cop, former Manila Police Captain Rey Jaylo was appointed by the President as Director IV of POEA and head of the Anti-Illegal Recruitment Task Force on July 30 last year. The promise of giving Jaylo the needed personnel was not honored. The PNP only assigned eight of the 30 personnel Jaylo requested, plus 8 BFP personnel. Not one single NBI agent was sent to join the Task Force. Only P4.5 million out of the P10 million promised was given the PAIRTF. Despite these drawbacks, Jaylo, in a one-year period, arrested the so-called "untouchables," i.e. large-scale recruiters, syndicated traffickers, some active and "retired" law enforcers, and "protectors" based on the complaints of 4,855 victims. These 465 arrested represented a statistic unmatched by the combined arrests of the PNP, NBI, and POEA for the same period, even though those agencies had bigger budgets and many more personnel.

Did Jaylo get thanks? GMA personally told me his original "backers" even wanted him fired. Now, he’s being charged with abuse of authority. The NBI raided his office – yep our own G-men – and "freed" some detainees who were facing illegal trafficking charges. The NBI is accusing Jaylo of a plenitude of offenses. Susmariosep – the NBI is the enemy. I won’t say outright – or should I? – that the NBI turns out to be the… uh. You know.

Imagine, Jaylo being charged, humiliated, and harassed for doing his job! No wonder the Americans are already directly accusing the Philippine Government of not doing anything against human trafficking.

One bigtime recruiter has been boasting that he has a P2 million fund to "destroy" Jaylo. Yep, it seems this is already happening.

Jaylo may be the soft-spoken type, but he’s not one to be trifled with. As a fast-draw, he drew during his years as a cop against 29 criminals and rogue officers who were shooting at him and he got them between the eyes.

A few months ago, he and his Task Force team swooped down on two Dutchmen (former Special Forces types, mind you, at home with gunhandling) who were operating a cyber-sex operation. The two men, brothers, made the mistake of trying to whip out their guns and shoot down Jaylo – but he got both of them instead, with his instinctive crouch and draw.

He can’t fight back, however, when he’s being "legally" shot in the back – and hassled by his fellow lawmen. I can already see Jaylo being "arrested" as an "abusive" law enforcer, while the human traffickers, scott-free, go laughing on their way – laughing, indeed, all the way to the bank.

One trafficker bragged: "I’m not exploiting! I’m giving women jobs!" Yep. The Good Samaritan and the Salvation Army, profitably rolled into one.