State of the Nation Address

Arroyo awards three US senators

Posted July 30, 2009 01:20:00(Mla Time)

Philippine Daily Inquirer
Belinda Olivares-Cunanan

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will meet with US President Barack Obama upon his invitation, the first Asean leader so invited by the new administration. After weighing in on the President's State of the Nation Address, our homegrown leaders and political pundits are now busy contributing their bit to what they feel ought to be the agenda of the Obama-Arroyo talks. Opposition leaders published an ad reminding Obama of the sins of the Arroyo administration, especially the need to "comply with Principles of Democracy and respect for Human Rights," as though he might be short of briefings by the US Embassy staff. But President Arroyo may score a first right in this field, for one of the activities scheduled for her is the conferment on three outstanding US senators of the Philippines' highest award for foreign nationals who have advanced the cause of democracy in this country during the Marcos regime. Democratic Senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry and Republican Sen. Richard Lugar are being decorated for their outstanding contribution in helping advance human rights and restore democracy in the Philippines. In the case of the ailing Kennedy, he's also being cited for his concern for health care, a raging issue in America now.

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It will be recalled that Senator Kerry of Massachusetts played a low-key but important role against the Marcos dictatorship and in support of the four-day Edsa Revolution. Senator Lugar of Indiana, on the other hand, was instrumental in getting the dictator to let go, with his memorable advice, "Cut and cut clean, Mr. President." The Kennedy bothers have been staunch champions of human rights, and Ted Kennedy played a big role in scrutinizing the misuse of US aid during the dictatorship. As the Edsa Revolution gathered steam in Manila, Filipino pro-democracy lobbyists in America, among them Heherson and Cecile Alvarez, held a "parallel Edsa" in front of the White House together with other members of the Ninoy Aquino Movement, to pressure the US government to let go of Marcos.

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One of the most closely scrutinized part of the hour-long State of the Nation Address was how Arroyo would handle her term's end in 2010. At a recent Management Association of the Philippines musical soiree organized by realtor Ed Yap, the question was popped to me at my table and I said I'm sure Arroyo would step down in 2010, even as I voiced the hope that she would help ensure clean and orderly elections as a major legacy to the nation. The SONA, however, seems to have left the people and media divided, with the Philippine Daily Inquirer banner saying, "No clear GMA goodbye."

I'm among those who feel she was emphatic enough when she said, "At the end of this speech I shall step down from this stage, but not from the presidency. My term does not end until next year. Until then I will fight for the ordinary Filipino... There is much to do as head of state-to the very last day." But I think what frightened the unbelievers is that tricky phrase, "to the very last day." To those who wanted to see Arroyo exit years ago, that phrase sounded like an eternity of waiting and some opined that it might have helped if she had said "to the very last day of my term on June 30, 2010." But as every writer knows about antecedents, that phrase clearly referred to her term which ends next year.

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If people are nervous about it, Arroyo and her political allies have to shoulder part of the blame, as they seemed to make an effort to be vague and ambiguous about exiting. The popular explanation was that she doesn't want to become a lame duck. But every president here and abroad becomes one, and it's a fact of political life. Obama as president-elect stressed that there can be only one president at a time. George W. Bush was president up to the last minute before his successor took his oath of office, even though it was evident he was no longer in control as the global financial crisis worsened.

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The media noted that in her SONA, Arroyo took potshots at former Speaker Jose de Venecia and former President Fidel V. Ramos when she lamented how those who "tirelessly and shamelessly attempted Cha-cha when they thought they could take advantage of a shift in the form of government" now oppose it when "they feel they cannot benefit from it." I didn't agree with FVR's allies when towards the end of his term they sought to extend it through Cha-cha, because I felt that was not a very honest way to go about it. But I know for a fact that JDV had advocated a shift to a parliamentary system from the time he entered Congress after Edsa. If JDV had succeeded in his open aspiration to the prime ministership (with President Macapagal Arroyo as head of state), it would have been a natural offshoot of a long advocacy. Many sectors, including this columnist, joined the effort to push for Charter change through a people's initiative, and we felt crushed by its stinging rejection by the Supreme Court, which was thoroughly undeserved.

But in the last year of Arroyo's term, it became evident to many former advocates that the over-arching importance of Charter change would be sidelined or even polluted by her House allies' clear intent, which was to extend her term-and theirs. I didn't support efforts of Ramos' allies to extend his term through Cha-cha, and I do not now support such efforts by Arroyo's allies. Many Cha-cha proponents have shifted to supporting a constitutional convention, as it now looks like the purest way to go about it, preferably with delegates elected simultaneously with the 2010 elections. I also oppose Charter change on the eve of the coming crucial elections, as it would distract the Comelec from its all-important job of carrying out the first-ever automation of the national elections. I submit that we should also vote for candidates who will support a con-con within two years of their election.