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Thursday, September 22, 2005
Malig: Not de Castro, US says
By Jun A. Malig
YESTERDAY'S newspaper reports about the supposed unsavory opinion of US officials concerning Vice President Noli de Castro's ability to effectively govern the country as the Chief Executive did not come as a surprise. In the first place, there was never an indication that the US wanted de Castro to become the next ruler of the land, particularly during President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's most trying moments two months ago.
The July 16 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) assessment, reportedly prepared by then US Embassy Charge d' Affaires Joseph Mussomeli, allegedly stated that "there is no indication" that the Vice President "has much knowledge or interest in foreign policy issues." "We asked about US-RP military cooperation, to which he replied that he supported the global war against terrorism," the reported US document added.
As expected, de Castro was quick to deny the US report, especially the part that had quoted him as saying that "there was circumstantial evidence" linking President Arroyo to fraud during the May 2004 presidential election. De Castro told reporters in Manila the other day that he "doesn't even remember" the face of Mussomeli and that he did not talk extensively about politics or other matters with the US official. He said what was cited in the report "was just his (Mussomeli) own assessment of things that are not bound to happen."
If the FBI file was authentic, it could be evident that the US is not inclined to support the waning clamor to make de Castro the next president of the Philippines. Former President Corazon Aquino and the members of the "Hyatt 10" are the leading personalities advocating for a change in the country's leadership with de Castro at Malacañang's topmost post.
Other anti-Gloria forces, as everyone knows, do not support de Castro. Some supports ousted President Joseph Estrada, some supports Susan Roces and some yearn for a snap presidential election. Of course, such "disunited" stand and goal of the "united" anti-Gloria groups would never gain the support of the middle forces. And without the support of the middle class, any form of advocacy for a major change in the country's leadership would never gain maximum altitude. History would be adequate proof to this.
After denying the US report, de Castro was even quoted as saying that he had declined to read the FBI file that a Manila-based reporter had tried to show him because it was not a big deal. He is also confident that Ms Arroyo would do the same - ignore the US report.
What I clearly remember was the statement de Castro issued last July 8, the height of the multi-sectoral calls for Ms Arroyo to resign: "Sa gitna ng mga kaganapan ngayon, isa lang ang sigurado: ang masamang epekto sa ating mga naghihirap na kababayan. Sila ang aking pinag-uukulan ng pansin. Sila ang aking pagsisilbihan. Kaya naman, nananatili ang aking paninindigan na ipaglaban at pagsumikapan ang kapakanan at ikabubuti ng mga ordinaryong Pilipino. Pinasasalamatan ko ang tiwala na ibinibigay nila sa akin. Bilang Pangalawang Pangulo ng bansa, makakaasa kayong ang taong-bayan ang siyang aking magiging gabay at inspirasyon. At bilang mga nananampalataya sa iisang Diyos, bigyan natin ng pagkakataon ang Pangulong Arroyo na mag-isip at magpasya para sa bayan."
I found his statement to be ambiguous. And as I cited in my July 12 column, as an ordinary citizen and voter, I don't see de Castro as the "savior" of the Filipinos. I don't believe that he is the better alternative to the country's current leadership. I don't believe he would be capable of saying no to his former bosses at the ABS-CBN. I don't believe he would not protect the business interests of the Lopez Group of Companies. I don't believe he would be an independent-minded leader whose political and economic decisions could not be influenced by his benefactors.
(September 22, 2005 issue)
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