THERE are those who criticize the President for the number of overseas trips she makes. They say that 51 trips in 102 months as President is too many. A few days on the road every two months on average is not necessarily excessive for someone whose position has important international dimensions, but what are the benefits of these trips?

For updates from around the country, follow Sun.Star on Twitter

Malacañang is aware that there are those who make adverse observations on the President’s peregrinations. It has responded with a full page color advertisement which appeared in last week’s newspapers. Under the heading ‘Miles for Progress,’ the ad. purported to show that the trips were worthwhile. Let’s see.

***

‘US$190 million benefits for Filipino war veterans.’

When Barack Obama became US President in January, he inherited an economy which, without rapid remedial action, would force the country into a Depression as severe as the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Obama’s response was to submit a US$787B ‘stimulus package’ to Congress which passed it. The components of the stimulus package included many pet projects from Democratic Congressmen and Senators whose views had largely been ignored during the 8-Year Republican Bush administration.

Among these projects was one submitted by Daniel Inouye, a democrat Senator for the State of Hawaii. It was he who was aware of the injustice perpetrated on Filipino war veterans. It was he who proposed the US$190M project. Malacañang had no substantive involvement whatsoever.

Credit – stealing, particularly when inappropriate, is unattractive and Malacañang should know better. Cerge Remonde who has compounded the offense by repeating this untruth should ‘back off.’

***

Corruption

Not mentioned in the ‘Miles for Progress’ ad, but which did feature in the President’s visit to Hong Kong on 28, June was a meeting with Tony Kwok, former head of Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption. Kwok spent several years attached to the Ombudsman’s office at considerable expense to the European Union who funded his work.

According to Malacañang, the next step in the fight against corruption is for the private sector to start institutionalizing ‘corporate integrity managers.’

Is there an implied subtext here?

That all is well in the public sector; that the corruption prevention and detection mechanisms are in place; that information supplied by whistleblowers will be acted upon promptly, and that any corrupt official can expect swift and decisive retribution; that those buying noodles at P11, 000 LKg or not making prompt remittances to GSIS can expect to spend Christmas 2009 as non-paying guests of Muntinlupa.

We shall see!

The main problem, surely, is when someone stumbles across corruption, what should he do? Pellagio Apostol, the Ombudsman’s Visayan honcho says that we have a duty to report corruption if we encounter it. How? To whom? What happens next? Speed is of the essence.

In 2001, Dr Pat Tan of Negros Graftwatch reported to the Ombudsman about an apparent overprice of materials purchased. He implicated Lito Coscoluella.

In 2005 he, Pat Tan, died. July 2009, the Ombudsman appears to be investigating the case. Why now? Why not before?

The Balikatan 2007 case is more serious because it involves American taxpayers’ money. Gibo’s USec’s who have been given the responsibility of investigating the case should produce, with or without Gadian, a definitive report quickly. Gadian’s information, although useful, is probably not necessary.

If Balikatan means what I think it means, and if there were hocus pocus, then American soldiers will be aware of and can provide information on, the fact that their Filipino counterparts did not receive the materiel that the P46M was meant to be used for.

This is case where there is no place for misguided loyalty. Any malfeasance within AFP must be revealed.

Willingness by the Department of Defense to root out corruption would help to improve RP-US government relations, currently at a low ebb.

***

Empty words

Anodyne statements such as: ‘Potential co-operation agreements with Russia,’ ‘Memorandum of understanding with Brazil,’ ‘Establishing a general framework for agriculture and fisheries cooperation,’ and ‘…to come up with a program for agriculture investment,’ are not the stuff of leadership. The above statements are for mid-level civil servants writing about inconsequential meetings. Heads of State should only appear when these motherhood messages have been converted into formal agreements which have provable benefits. We are not there yet.

***

Investments

We are desperately short of foreign investments. Other countries, less corrupt than ours, are able to attract foreign funding which in turn generates more rapid growth.

Some, if not all, the investment projects proposed at civilized meetings with other heads of the state disappear when the reality of undertaking investment projects in the Philippines becomes apparent to the foreign entity.

The ad boasted of many foreign investments as a result of GMA’s foreign trips. Not all these investments will eventuate.

Either Malacañang needs to hire a new copywriter or the criticisms of those who say that GMA travels too much have validity.

Published in the Sun.Star Bacolod newspaper on July 6, 2009.