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Friday, November 05, 2004
Lee: Lose-lose situation
By Kelvin King Lee
One Small Voice
'The Angelo de la Cruz episode was not the last hostage taking our people would suffer. There have been more, and there will be more.'
WE told you so.
A lot of people said, over and over again, during the height of the Angelo de la Cruz hostage-taking in Iraq, that it would be a mistake to agree to the demands of the hostage-takers and pull out Filipino troops. To do so would invite more hostage-takings in the future. Saving one Filipino would put more Filipinos at risk. Pulling out those troops would mean that the Philippine government had capitulated to the demands of the hostage-takers.
But the Arroyo administration did not listen. The administration looked at the short-term instead of the long-term. They weighed the issues and decided that the country's promise to an international coalition was unimportant. They decided that they would not heed the advice and actions of other countries that also had their citizens kidnapped. And so the Philippine received the dubious distinction of being the only country to negotiate and capitulate to terrorist hostage-takers. We became the only country to pull out troops directly because of a hostage-taking situation, making the terrorists' operations a roaring success.
We have deigned to honor the promise of a terrorist, instead of our country's own international promise. And by our actions, we have made every Filipino living and working in the Middle East a walking target. We have told the whole terrorist underworld to kidnap Filipinos, because with them, we can get results.
And now look at what has happened. One Filipino diplomat kidnapped in Afghanistan. An accountant taken in Iraq. Their chances of being saved, as Angelo de la Cruz was, are minimal. The Philippine government has pointedly distanced itself from any negotiations with the hostage-takers, letting the United Nations handle the situation this time. The Arroyo administration has probably realized the folly of their previous actions. But it may be too late, as the Philippines has not only lost credibility when we pulled the troops out, we also put our other countrymen in danger. You've heard of situations where "you win some, you lose some?" Well, in our case, we are in a lose-lose situation.
The Angelo de la Cruz episode was not the last hostage taking our people would suffer. There have been more, and there will be more. That is sadly, something you can count on.
***
As I am writing this column, I have just received word that John Kerry has conceded the US Presidential elections to Bush. Our call centers are now safe. Note that Kerry had planned on stopping the outsourcing policy of American companies, in order to protect American jobs. With Kerry out of the way, we are assured that we get to keep our call centers, for the next 4 years anyways, or unless Bush drastically changes his economic policies.
On the subject of Bush, his reelection should silence those critics that assailed his election in 2000 as a fluke. Back then, Bush lost the popular vote and only won the Electoral College votes thanks to the infamous Florida ballot controversy. This time Bush not only has the Electoral college votes (around 274 as I write this, which is 4 more than the 270 needed) as required by their Constitution, but he also has the popular vote, leading Kerry by more than 3.7 million votes.
To add to Bush's victory, his Republican party has gained control over Congress, winning enough seats in the US Senate and the US House of Representatives to assume majority control. No political expert expected such a complete Republican victory. George W. Bush is now at the height of his power and influence.
Our own administration had announced that it would prefer a Bush victory in the elections. Well, we got it. However it remains to be seen whether Bush's reelection will be good for the Philippines. I honestly doubt he has forgotten our country's pulling out from Iraq. Bush doesn't seem like the kind to forgive nor forget so easily.
Simply put, if Kerry had won, we would have lost our call centers. But now that Bush has won, we may not be treated so well anyway since Bush is likely still unhappy over what we did in Iraq. People like him have long memories.
Another lose-lose situation for the Philippines.
Email me at babbleon@atenista.net
(November 5, 2004 issue)
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