Last Monday’s item, on the Malaysian envoy’s wife calling Jose Rizal on Twitter “the infidel Malay,” drew many reactions. Readers who clicked on the part of the contentious Tweet “@BikMama2U” said that up popped the website of the “Husband of the Prime Minister of Malaysia.” The site carried a photograph of Rosmah Razak, wife of PM Najib Razak. “Husband” evidently is a mistranslation for the neuter “spouse”. But that’s not the readers’ point. They say that Dato Zainab, wife of Ambassador Ibrahim Saad, apparently was Tweeting Rosmah about Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s impending lecture in Manila on Rizal. Part of their exchanges was the disrespectful dig at the Malay hero.
* * *
SMOKING GUN (1). Former Comelec official Virgilio Garcillano pooh-poohs the need to redeem himself by finally telling all about the 2004 poll rigging. He insists he has nothing more to say, apart from repeating his disavowals of fraud back in 2005.
Here’s news for him. If he doesn’t talk, he would be among the principals in non-bailable charges of electoral sabotage. Retired Marine general Francisco Gudani and Col. Alexander Balutan have executed affidavits about what happened to them in Lanao. Higher headquarters suddenly had relieved them of their leadership of the First Marine Brigade. It turned out later, from the “Hello Garci” tapes, that the relief was prompted by Garcillano’s complaint to then-Commander-in-Chief Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Garcillano had grumbled on the phone to Arroyo that he couldn’t operate his usual dagdag-bawas in Lanao because of Gudani and Balutan’s sternness.
Classmates from the Philippine Military Academy attest to the veracity of the two officers and gentlemen. Whereas no one wishes to stand up for the infamous Garci. As a lawyer, Garcillano must know that electoral sabotage carries a life sentence.
* * *
SMOKING GUN (2). In last week’s first Senate hearing on the Philippine National Police chopper scam, questions rained on Chief Supt. George Piano. He had chaired the inspection-acceptance committee in that 2009 PNP purchase of two used helicopters passed off and overpriced as brand new. This was because he was then chief of the Logistics Support Service.
Sen. Franklin Drilon asked by whose authority Piano certified the two choppers as brand new, when the papers clearly stated pre-owned. Piano said in so many words that the test pilots made him believe the units were new. By imputation, it was all the fault of Supt. Claudio Gaspar Jr., for not telling him then that he (Gaspar) had been flying the First Family in those private choppers for years. (Gaspar in the same hearing testified that he didn’t tell his superiors that the choppers were old because he wasn’t asked. Hmm, don’t ask, don’t tell?)
Piano might wish to juggle his memory. Papers in the possession of Sen. Panfilo Lacson would help him do so. On October 16, 2009, Director Ronald Roderos sent him a memo from the Directorate for Research and Development. Roderos stated that, going by the inspection report of October 14, 2009, the two Robinson standard models conformed to the specifications earlier approved by the National Police Commission. Meaning, by inference, the choppers were brand new because that was what the Special Action Force had requisitioned and the Napolcom had endorsed.
As a result of that memo from Roderos, Piano’s committee met on November 11, 2009. They voted to accept the two units, delivered two months earlier. Their resolution echoed Roderos’s memo — that the units conformed to the Napolcom-approved specifications. It basically reiterated that the units were brand new.
Roderos is a two-star general; Piano, one star; Gaspar, a colonel. In the police-military hierarchy, an officer can only pin blame downwards, not upwards.
* * *
Immigration Commissioner Ricardo A. David Jr. sent this rejoinder to my series on human trafficking. Specifically, I pointed out the wrong in offloading 54,000 Filipino tourists from August 2010 to June 2011 on mere suspicion that they were being trafficked. More so since, of the 32,038 tourists stopped this year alone, only two resulted in court cases. Excerpted:
“The problem of human trafficking is so complicated there is no perfect solution to it. If our airport immigration officers have become too zealous or strict in screening departing tourists, it is because our government is determined to combat the malady that has victimized thousands.
“When a departing tourist is asked to present proof of his/her financial capacity, it is because the immigration officer has serious doubts about the purpose of going abroad. The experiences of our veteran officers have taught them to profile passengers and reasonably ascertain their purpose of travel.
“There were instances when our officers were overbearing, arrogant and abusive towards passengers. Such acts are never condoned. We reiterate that victims of maltreatment can file complaints, and we assure them of appropriate disciplinary action against our employees.
“Incidentally your column came out on the same news day about the Philippines’ removal from the US human trafficking watch list. We felt vindicated by the report as it meant that our efforts in the past several months have paid off.”
* * *
Catch Sapol radio show, Saturdays, 8-10 a.m., DWIZ, (882-AM).
E-mail: jariusbondoc@workmail.com