Gerrymandering of Cam-Sur persists

A former trade undersecretary is complaining to the Bureau of Immigration about a foreign national for threatening her with harm. Carissa Cruz Evangelista, the ex-subcabinet member, identified the “undesirable alien” as Muhammad Ali Nasser al Shehri, a Saudi national. In a letter to Immigration commissioner Ricardo David, Evangelista said the threats and cussing resulted from a mere parking tiff. The incident happened last week at a Makati building where Evangelista and Nasser are condo neighbors.

Evangelista admitted having wrongly parked over the line that separates the slots. Apologizing to Nasser upon being called down to move her car, she was taken aback when the latter repeatedly cussed and threatened to slash her tires. Two security guards attested that Nasser yelled at them too for restraining him. At one point, Evangelista said, Nasser screamed at her, “I am a man!” The daughter of Rep. Gina de Venecia, Evangelista said she suffered fright, trauma, mental anguish, and anxieties from the experience.

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One would think that, after the Enrile-Trillanes clash over it, the gerrymandering of Camarines Sur would be dead. But no, the political plotters are still at it. Set back at the Senate, they’re shifting for now to the Comelec. There, public statements seemingly are being scripted to restart carving out a new province in which to rule.

Despite last Friday’s end of filing of candidacies for the May 2013 balloting, Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes reportedly announced odd things. Supposedly the poll body might extend the filing to November or December. Proponents of creating a new province out of Cam-Sur’s 4th and/or only the 3rd congressional districts quickly pounced on the item. It means, they crowed, that the bill remains alive, and they can still get it past the Senate in time for the May election.

In fairness to Brillantes, it’s the gerrymanderers who are rehashing his purported words. But if they’re quoting him right, then he’s shooting from the hip. There is yet no legislation to create a Nueva Camarines. So far, the Comelec is considering to extend till yearend only the deadline for filing substitute candidacies, and only for those identically surnamed. That’s why Sen. Bongbong Marcos, head of the local government committee where the Nueva-Cam bill pends, sounded surprised. “I don’t know how that’s supposed to be handled,” he said. “The pronouncements of Chairman Brillantes are unclear.” He asked the election chief to issue a categorical statement on a deadline extension. Last week’s regular filing, seven months ahead of Election Day, precisely was to give ample time to print 55 million automated election ballots.

Gerrymandering reportedly will favor termed-out Reps. Arnulfo Fuentebella and Luis Villafuerte, of the 3rd and 4th districts, respectively. Rushed through the House of Reps, the bill will enable them to run as congressman and governor of a new province. Brillantes was twitted for earlier stating that the Comelec, despite its meager funds for the 2013 polls, can spend P75 million out of its savings to hold a plebiscite on Nueva-Cam. Critics have taken to calling it Nueva-Scam. Formerly an election lawyer, Brillantes allegedly once had Fuentebella as a client.

Last month Sen. Antonio Trillanes denounced Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile for yielding to lobbies for the gerrymandering. Enrile hit back by calling Trillanes an ingrate in forgetting his exertions to get him out of military prison for a 2003 mutiny. Enrile also outed Trillanes as Malacañang’s backchannel to China during the Panatag Shoal standoff. Trillanes accused Enrile of divulging state secrets. The Senate split between their followers, faster than the bill could halve Cam-Sur.

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Being one of many who commented on Trillanes’ back channeling, I was sent some clarifications by his chief of staff Reynaldo B. Robles. Excerpts:

• Trillanes’ role was limited to being a messenger. All proposals and counterproposals were presented to President Noynoy Aquino, whose decisions were relayed to China.

• Malacañang shouldered the costs. Fifteen meetings were held in May to August, less than half in China.

• Then-Ambassador to Beijing Sonia Brady was not present in any of the meetings because she assumed office only in August. Trillanes met with her only once, on August 17 at the Beijing embassy, to brief her about the back channeling. No Chinese officials were present in the meeting; there was nothing treasonous about it (contrary to Enrile’s assertion).

• Trillanes avoided publicly discussing his role. It was Enrile who revealed it on national media, to divert public attention from the railroading of the division of Camarines Sur.

• Trillanes is one of few senior government officials who had face-to-face encounters with Chinese vessels at Panatag during his sea duty in the Navy. This helped him to appreciate better the tactical conditions and psyche of sailors of both sides. Such knowledge is complemented by his training in Public Policy Analysis, his major in taking up his Master’s degree in Public Administration at the University of the Philippines.

• There are still gaps or points for negotiation about Panatag, as Sec. Mar Roxas stated after his meeting with Chinese (president-in-waiting) Xi Jinping. This proves that Trillanes did not sell out any of our islands to the Chinese.

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I wish that Trillanes, having said all that through his aide, would answer just one of many questions that his outing raised: Who were the Chinese officials who, as asserted by Malacañang, suggested that he be the backchannel to begin with?

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