Chiz and Obama

 When President Arroyo flies to Washington D.C., she would find out she is not the only Philippine leader invited to attend the traditional National Prayer Breakfast Meeting. Already settled down by this time at the US capital is opposition Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero who flew out of Manila Monday night. Chiz was invited by fellow legislators from the US Congress who organized this annual gathering where newly-elected American President Barack Obama is their guest speaker for the first time.

This year will be the 57th annual national prayer breakfast. Since the late American President Dwight Eisenhower, under whose administration this tradition started, every sitting President of the US has attended and spoken at this event. More than 4,000 dignitaries attend the event, including various heads of state. It will be held Feb. 5 at the Hilton Washington. In addition to the presidential address, the National Prayer Breakfast features scripture reading, prayers, and a keynote speaker, all selected by a bipartisan congressional committee.

During the term of former President Fidel V. Ramos, our first Protestant President, he adopted this National Prayer Breakfast in our country. In the true spirit of national unity and reconciliation, Mr. Ramos made it a point to ensure the attendance of all leaders from all sectors of society. Invited to this yearly prayer breakfast gathering are leading personalities not just from the political spectrum but also those from non-government organizations, academe, civil society, etc. Ecumenical prayers are led by representatives each from the various religious sects.

As previously announced by newly installed Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, the President would proceed to Washington from her trips to Milan in Italy and Bahrain which was originally the last leg of her first foreign trip this year. Remonde disclosed the letter invitation to Mrs. Arroyo was received by the Office of the President on Jan. 30, or, on the eve before she left for Davos, Switzerland to attend the annual World Economic Forum (WEF).  

Though the decision came belatedly, the Commander-in-Chief accepted it even without the usual protocular, security, and other presidential screening and other arrangements. The lack of preparations would be the least of worries for Mrs. Arroyo. Our highly competent and experienced diplomatic officials posted in the Philippine Embassy in Washington led by Ambassador Willy Gaa and assisted by Chief Presidential Protocol, Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr. can readily rise to the occasion even at the shortest notice.

Chiz quietly left Manila all by his lonesome. Chiz received the invitation from the organizers to participate in this year’s National Prayer Breakfast on Oct. 7 last year, or three days before he celebrated his 39th birthday. The invitation was signed by Vernon J. Ehlers and Heath Shuler who are co-chairs of this year’s event.

“On behalf of the Congressional Committee, we have the pleasure of inviting you to join us for the 57th National Prayer Breakfast…,” the letter to Chiz stated. “This gathering is a time when we set aside our differences and seek to build and strengthen relationships through our love for God and concern for one another,” the letter cited.

Aside from the Prayer Breakfast event itself, Chiz was also invited to attend and participate in the luncheon meeting afterwards with other international leaders on the same day as “integral part” of this annual gathering. Thus, Chiz is honored, and obviously flattered if I may add, by this invitation where he would be meeting up close and personal President Obama since the latter took office at the White House a few weeks ago. Mr. Obama has become sort of Chiz’s inspiration to his own possible bid in our country’s next presidential elections in May 2010.

Like Chiz, the excitement among the organizers of this event about Mr. Obama’s attendance is not so secret at all. The new US President will deliver a customary speech before them for the first time. It’s not though, the first Prayer Breakfast that Obama has attended. He has actively participated every year in this event as Democrat Senator from Illinois. By the way, Mr. Obama belongs to the United Church of Christ, a Protestant and evangelical group in the US. We have our own United Church of Christ of the Philippines. Chiz, on the other hand, is Catholic.

I learned about his Washington trip just by a chance encounter with him when the young Senator and I were invited to attend a Charter Change Forum organized by law students in San Beda College in Mendiola, Manila last week. Chiz was relating his personal experience while getting his US visa at the American Embassy in Roxas Boulevard. Being an elected Senator of the Republic does not excuse anyone from the required personal appearance in securing visa from the US Embassy in Manila.

Chiz was telling his audience in that Cha-cha forum that Filipinos generally follow rules and regulations and behave accordingly, if they really want to. He noticed that none of his fellow US visa applicants talked to each other nor used their cellular phones. It was because — his eyes caught late — there were warning signs posted around the room against making noise and the use of cell phones is not allowed.  

In the same students’ forum on Cha-cha, Chiz reiterated his stand against any attempts by the Arroyo administration and its allies to amend the 1987 Constitution at this time. The Senator hastily added he is not averse to amend the country’s Charter if done by the next President of the country during the first half of his or her six-year term in office. This way, he stressed, any amendments to the Constitution would not be open to suspicion as a way to extend one’s term in office.

The young Senator flew out a few hours after attending the Senate public hearing on the financial debacles of several pre-need companies in the Philippines on Monday. Yesterday, pro-administration Congressmen approved the House resolution filed by Speaker Prospero Nograles to amend the economic provisions in the Constitution. Chiz would have his hands full on how to stop the Cha-cha train in Congress when he returns to Manila later this week, perhaps, even while still awestruck by the Obama-mania in the US.