Demolition derby

Every time campaign season is around the corner, there are two things that you can bet your family jewels on that are certain to happen. First is that criminal gangs pop up out of nowhere to rob banks, convenience stores and to kidnap rich individuals.

The second thing that happens in such pre-election season is that some enterprising operator will surely be rattling and shaking down businessmen in the same manner that lazy people throw stones or shake trees hoping that some of its fruits will come tumbling down. In the Philippines, such shakedowns has become common that we actually have a local saying that goes: “when you bear much fruit, expect people to hurl stones at you.”

If businessman Manny V. Pangilinan recently considered relocating his corporate headquarters to Hong Kong, he has all my sympathies. As positive as the Philippines may look and sound, all the improvements we’ve had, have not been exempt from politicians and operators who use politics to demolish their competitors or targets.

If politicians and government officials are fond of saying: “the attacks against me are all politically motivated,” businessmen can say that: “the attacks against them are corporately initiated and politically implemented,” meaning: a competitor is behind it while a politician is in front of it.

After Chief Justice Sereno was appointed into office, I took note of the fact that for 3 weeks running there was a “developing story” in the news, involving so-called coconut farmers appealing to the new Chief Justice to review the already decided case of the coconut levy. A week later, a small group representing NGOs made a public appearance reiterating the same call and on the third week, a march was organized out of southern Luzon to draw attention to the same matter. In all these scenes, the participants made sure they emphasized the name of Danding Cojuangco and his 20% shares. Great sequence, old script.

The tragedy of the matter is that the case has been settled with finality, yet certain media outlets saw it fit to give space to a small band of street performers mindless of the motive and injury caused by such people on businessmen and public figures. Things are such that members of media don’t even bother exercising correct judgment and considering consequence.

Last week it was the turn of MVP whose name and reputation was “dragged and besmirched” by Senator Antonio Trillanes who through a privilege speech basically accused MVP and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert Del Rosario of conspiring to endanger national security in order to further and protect MVP’s business interests. From a distance it may seem that Trillanes’ fight is with Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, but if so what was the point in dragging MVP’s name? As MVP might put it in the local dialogue: “Ma at Pa ko” as in Malay ko at anong pakialam ko?

What exactly did MVP have to do with the fight over the Senate Presidency? If Trillanes wanted to take down JPE, why did he have to drag MVP along with Del Rosario? Was MVP simply collateral damage or was he conveniently placed in the target sheet for effect, or to send him a message that he needed to “invest” in his political relationships? If Trillanes seriously believed in his claim, why did Trillanes focus on JPE’s incompetence instead of the more serious charge of treason that he accused Del Rosario and Pangilinan of?

Unfortunately, after finding his reputation set ablaze in public, what can a businessman like Manny Pangilinan do? He can’t fight back or challenge Trillanes because Senators have immunity as well as the power to investigate, subpoena and hold people like MVP in contempt. Pangilinan can’t even get the satisfaction of knowing why he got dragged into the fight because that might earn him a Senate investigation. So who can blame the guy for telling our politicians and our people: “Ang gulo gulo ninyo” (You’re all a troublesome lot) and then fly off to Hong Kong.

Sadly, even the richest and most powerful men in Philippine business, even foreign companies, are not exempt from pressure, shake down, or harassment. I remember a time when a Senator of the Republic once told the “country manager” of a multinational company that “in the Philippines, no large corporation, business or industry can expect to do business peacefully without having political alliances or protection.” To add to that, there is also no protection available to businessmen from sensationalism and publication of stories that technically should not be aired or see print until after a formal process is underway.

This week, businessmen Bobby Ongpin and Ramon Ang were the respondents to a plunder case filed with the Office of the Ombudsman concerning Meralco shares being contested by a private individual. To start with, the case has just been filed and has yet to be studied by the Ombudsman, but the matter has already become a news story, directly affecting the character and business reputation of the individuals concerned. The fact that such filing is allowed to be a “public event” or a publicity stunt should merit a rule of confidentiality because the respondents are effectively publicly judged before the case begins!

To make matters worse, I’ve been told that a politician “gave his blessings and encouraged the private complainant to file the case posthaste so he can follow with a parallel investigation.” Apparently someone has it bad for Ongpin and will also shake SMC hoping Ongpin will fall off the tree.

While corporately driven politics get personal, no one can imagine how much has been endangered in terms of investments that are in the pipeline from managers of “Sovereign funds” who have privately expressed their desire to invest on an international airport, toll road expansion projects, and a mass transit line. When a businessman who has a home court advantage feels like relocating, something is very wrong in the republic.

As my father Louie Beltran quipped: Only in the Philippines!