To Kulkumut: Look who's talking

The Thai ambassador to the Philippines, Kulkumut Singhara Na Ayudhaya, is fuming mad over statements attributed to deputy Arroyo spokesman Anthony Golez and Senator Richard Gordon that the turmoil in Thailand cannot happen here because Filipinos are more mature than Thais.

Admittedly, the statements could have stung the Thai people, especially since they were reportedly made by high Philippine officials. Had the statement been made by a civilian, maybe the affront would have been a little less compelling to take umbrage.

Nevertheless, Kulkumut went overboard in his pique, claiming the Philippines had an agenda in issuing the statement. Now that is foul. While it is true spokesmen speak for their principals, that is not necessarily true all the time.

In fact, the reason why choosing spokesmen is tricky is because people thrust into such positions sometimes confuse themselves with their principals, and may issue statements that are their own and of which their principals know nothing about.

It is good Kulkumut merely called a press conference and made known his concern to the foreign affairs office without making a formal diplomatic incident out of it. Because he might also be made to explain what he meant when he said the Palace has an agenda.

Gordon has denied being a party to the offending statement. But when he learned that Kulkumut went ballistic over it, the senator said it is not the Philippines that must apologize but Kulkumut himself.

As of this writing, the other party to the furor, Golez, has not commented on the issue. But whether he does or not, the fact is that, admittedly, it was a bad thing to say and should not have been said.

Normally, an apology would have been in order. But when Kulkumut forgot that he was a diplomat and started making wild accusations about the Philippines having an agenda in issuing the offending statement, no such apology should now be made.

Indeed, I would go along with Gordon that it is not the Philippines that should apologize but Kulkumut. While what Golez said was bad, he was at least not a diplomat steeped in the niceties of foreign relations. But Kulkumut is, yet he forgot himself.

This is not the first time an irritant surfaced between Thailand and the Philippines. In 2005, Thai sports officials were forced to apologize to Filipinos for the wild accusation made by then Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thaksin, who is not only a bad leader, as subsequent events would show, but a very poor loser as well, accused the Philippines of rigging the results of the 23rd Southeast Asian Games held in Manila at the time. I wonder what Kulkumut has to say about that.

Golez saying the Thais aren't politically mature, while deplorable, pales in comparison to Thaksin saying the Filipinos are cheats. The content and the source of the two unfortunate statements just do not belong to the same level.

The Philippines may not be at par with Thailand in many ways, but that does not in any way diminish the dignity and respect we deserve as a nation. Mistakes are made by people and nations every now and then. But windows must remain open for their proper rectification.

But if our neighbors or their nationals promptly browbeat us for any mistakes we may have made without allowing for things to be sorted out, and especially if they browbeat us in our very own shores, then the heck with them because we are no pushovers in any game.