By Adolfo Quizon Paglinawan

 

Part 12: Is it worth saving a weak, incompetent and corrupt president?

AFP Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner Jr Brawner, who his upperclassman Marine two-star General Orlando de Leon calls a coward and nothing but a bootlicking four-star disgrace, has set aside his attack bitch Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla meanwhile and named Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, erstwhile megaphone for the mythical West Philippine Sea, as acting AFP spokesman.

Trinidad recently came out with a statement saying that the protest action by military retirees led by former Air Force Major General Romeo Poquiz could be foreign-funded, noting what he termed as “unusual support system” of the United People’s Initiative (UPI) rallies on November 16 and 17.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, who is reputed to be unpopular among the AFP rank and file, immediately echoed the bark of theattack dog, saying, “Some of those who call for the military to withdraw its support to the government are sellouts to China who would want the country to just kowtow to its aggressive neighbor.”

Before taking on Poquiz, Trinidad should demand from Teodoro, first the Certification from the Government of Malta that Teodoro’s renunciation of Maltese citizenship and return of his foreign passport, and second the Certification from the Bureau of Immigration that he has reacquired Filipino citizenship after successfully submitting all the required documents. Mere execution of affidavits to the Comelec and the Commission on Appointments referencing those requirements are grossly insufficient. Because of these unresolved impediments, there is a growing perception that the civilian head of our country’s national defense is European, not Filipino.

Besides, “could be”, Mr. Trinidad, is a hypothesis. That is not news. “Unusual support system” is paranoiac, not a fact.

The rear admiral said “We are checking all possible leads, especially when it comes to funding, if these were done by domestic or maybe, even— for all we know—foreign groups. It was organized. It was grand,” he also said, further noting that there was even catered food provided for attendees.

Poquiz, founder and lead convenor of UPI, of course took exception to Trinidad’s remarks, saying “What foreign funding? We can’t even feed everyone who attended our rally.” Besides some donors gave food as in-kind donation, so it is but logical to distribute them to the rallyists, especially those who have stayed for span for more than six hours, as I am sure the UPI convenor has no intentions of opening a restaurant.

Thus, since there is no news involved in the what, where, why, when and how, the news is in the “who” elements of the journalistic values of five “W’s” and one “H”.

Taiwanese spies?

The “who” is Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad.

On July 14, Washington Post reported that two key officials of the Marcos administration were sent to Taipei to have a “thumbs up” session with Taiwanese President Ching Lai-te and train on countering China’s hybrid war, taking advantage of an earlier executive order that allowed Philippine government officials to travel to the Chinese province for economic reasons, not for geopolitics or security concerns.

One was Trinidad, and other was Coast Guard Commodore Jay Tarriela.

In a letter that the newspaper obtained, Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro said the faux pas caused “severe diplomatic complications,” because it violated the 1975 Philippine-China treaty that opened official relations between Beijing and Manila, specifically upholding the United Nation’s One-China policy. She got so upset that she formally complained to Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro about Trinidad, and the Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Ronnie Gil Gavan about Tarriela.

So can we safely now say that Trinidad and Tarriela are now Taiwanese spies?

This has become a serious concern because a month later, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr visited India and made highly provocative remarks claiming that if a confrontation occurred over the Taiwan question, “there is no way that the Philippines can stay out of it,” “if there is an all-out war, then we will be joined into it.” His excuses were “physical geographic location” and “large volume of Filipinos working in Taiwan, framing it as a “humanitarian concern”.

China interpreted Philippine actions as a betrayal of treaty promises.

Its Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Manila has repeatedly escalated its substantive moves on involving itself in the Taiwan question. Last year, the Philippines nearly doubled the number of military bases opened to US forces, including three facing Taiwan island. In April this year, it eased restrictions on interactions with officials of Taiwan authorities, including allowing Philippine officials to visit the island. Later, the Philippines and Taiwan authorities discussed about conducting joint patrols in the Bashi Channel, and in late July, the two sides negotiated an agreement concerning a  one-hour advance notification mechanism. This reveals the Philippines’ true intent: to actively involve itself, curry favor with the US, and mask its political calculations to get involved in the Taiwan Question under the disguise of “humanitarian concerns.” 

Caught in the middle?

This matter has not tempered the prospect of war, on the contrary, it is becoming clearer and clearer that Manila’s actuations are neither clumsy errors nor unintended consequences. While Donald Trump cozies up with Xi JinPing, to cure US trade miscalculations, the Deep State is busy marketing the American war economy in this part of the globe.

First, Nikkei Asia reported that the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission suggested that Taiwan could be brought in to help with funding upgrades to the bases, something that would ultimately benefit its own security.

Under the USCC’s proposed arrangement, Taiwan would be brought in to supplement the U.S. contributions. However, Taipei would pay the U.S. for the upgrades via Washington’s Foreign Military Sales program, rather than disbursing funds to the Philippines directly.

This circuitous budgeting arrangement is being concocted because Taiwan is hesitant to buy any more armaments and war equipment from the US. At the same time, because of its current financial and economic crisis, the US is no longer in a position to petition its own Congress for the $500 million the Biden administration pledged to Philippine military modernization that then Secretary of State Anthony Blinken described as a “once-in-a-generation investment” followed by an additional $128 million in funding for upgrades at EDCA sites.

Upgrades at the EDCA bases “would be ‘sold’ to Taiwan as a non-weaponry support service. The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency would manage the contract with a U.S. defense contractor, while the Philippines would be the beneficiary of the infrastructure.”

However, once launched, this non-weaponry support service can quickly slide to weaponry support for Philippine military modernization using Taiwan;s foreign military credits with the US, as the Americans are itching to provide Tomahawk missiles to arm the Typhon Weapon System it parked here, in addition to surplus Chinook heavy-duty helicopters  and F-16 fighter jets the US military wishes to unload from its inventory and converted to arms sales.

It should be remembered that the US forced Marcos to cancel the order of the past administration for sixteen Mi-17 heavy-lift helicopters from Russia for which our downpayment of P2 billion may have already been forfeited. The remaining P10 billion, however, can only afford four Chinooks as US war equipment are always heavily front loaded to favor American war oligarchs.

The second whammy is the evolving Japan-China Spat has exposed Philippine geopolitical vulnerability under Marcos.

Asian Century Institute’s Vice President for External; Affairs, Anna Malindog-Uy wrote, “Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, with the swagger of someone who forgets the historical lessons and caveats of World War II, declared that Japan may intervene militarily if China “takes over” Taiwan in a way that threatens Japan’s survival and collapses its “pacifist ambiguity”.

China has immediately retaliated by cancelling all its seafood imports from Japan and restricting Chinese tourism. Japanese fishermen in 37 out 47 prefectures suffer the brunt of Takaichi’s militarism. Nearly 700 Japanese seafood exporters had applied to re-register for shipments to China. Tokyo also defaulted about US$9 billion in tourism revenues as China issues a travel boycott. More than 10 Chinese airlines have offered refunds on Japan-bound routes until December 31, with one airline analyst estimating that around 500,000 tickets have already been cancelled.

Malindog-Uy added, “…while Tokyo and Beijing exchange diplomatic artillery, Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines, sits on the geopolitical fault line. And unlike Japan’s well-coordinated national security apparatus or China’s monolithic strategic machinery and state-of-the-art military capability, the Philippines today is led by a president whose government is drowning in massive corruption scandals, (over and above) a deeply securitized US-leaning foreign policy.”

A new defense pact between Tokyo and Manila, the Reciprocal Access Agreement, allows the Japanese military to deploy in the Philippines for the first time since World War II – with the goal of deterring Beijing in the South China Sea. One million Filipinos died in World War II compared to only less than 500,000 American casualties for both the European and Pacific theatres. Did you know that the Soviet Union had the highest number of deaths, ranging up to 27 million deaths? China suffered the second-highest casualties, with estimates up to 20 million.

                In case war breaks out, AFP Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner asks us to hold our defense  for 30 days. Employing 1940s war technology Masaharu Homma only took 25 days to take Manila after landing 45,000 Japanese troops in Lingayen. It took Douglas MacArthur 5 months short of 3 years to return to liberate Philippines.

Kneejerk military

                And for the education of Rear Admiral Trinidad, the sentiment for a violent reunification of Taiwan with China has recently been doused cold water, with the assumption of new Kuomintang leader Cheng Li-wun supports strengthening cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation for peaceful reunification and increasing Taiwan’s defense spending. So there goes your modernization hopes.

                What might have ticked off “Trinililing” was the change in UPI organizers’ stand from dialog to a “Marcos Resign” posture now actively calling for a withdrawal of support by the military not from the government, but its present leadership. Let me spell it out to the face of this admiral who uses his rear to think – the Supreme Court has affirmed the constitutionality of Vice-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s succession to the presidency in January 2001, and precedent withdrawal of support by AFP Chief of Staff Angelo Reyes and constructive resignation by President Joseph Estrada. That jurisprudence has become a landmark in Desierto vs Estrada case.

Also, for the information of Quezon City’s head of public order and safety, Ret. Police General Elmo DG San Diego, – only idiots and provocateurs are spreading the fake news that “withdrawal of support” calls for resignation by President Marcos Jr is seditious and violative of the law. On the contrary it is covered by constitutional guarantees of ordinary citizens’ freedom speech and freedom of assembly.

On the other hand, some organizers of this Sunday’s November 30 rally at EDSA, has openly called for civilian military junta to replace Marcos. What are you going to do about this? A junta not only violates the constitutional succession provisions, it advocates a coup d’etat or a violent overthrow of government, and they are announcing that straight to your face, Trinidad, and why have you not cancelled their permit , San Diego?

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Central Visayas chapter has called for the immediate resignation of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte and the formation of a National Transition Council to govern the country. Its Chairman Jaime Paglinawan, and my namesake, described the current administration as “built on a foundation of lies.”

                It was only after Senator Panfilo Lacson and Caritas Philippines president Kidapawan Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo reported being approached by proponents pushing for a civilian-military junta that they

                In their unity statement, the Trillion Peso Movement made it clear that their gathering on November 30 was not intended to oust President Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte, nor would the gathering be used to support military adventurism. Instead, it claimed the movement wants to uphold democratic processes.

Bagaforo said that Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David of Kalookan was being wooed by different groups, but did not specify the agenda of these groups. Lacson, Bagaforo and David, however, have not called for the arrest of these dubious personalities. Nor have they released their names to the public.

Foreign funding

With its two billion budget for intelligence, don’t Trinidad and Teodoreo know that many participants in the Trillion Peso event, are being funded through open source foreign assistance, notably the overt-equivalent of the US Central Intelligence Agency, the National Endowment for Democracy and its subsidiary the International Republican Institute.

Assuming they don’t, can’t they simply google it?

                Key personalities associated with Tindig Pilipinas include: co-Convenors Kiko Aquino-Dee and Professor Sylvia Claudio and Leah Navarro of the Black and White Movement.

Tindig Pilipinas is part of Institute for Strategic Research and Development Studies (INCITEGov), masked as a non-profit organization focused on linking democratic politics, good governance, and development outcomes.

Media organizations have received NED funding over the years like Rappler, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR),VERA Files, and MindaNews. Akbayan, Bayan, and Karapatan, openly leftist organizations continually receive donations typically for projects related to human rights advocacy and civil society engagement. The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), another NED core institution, has partnered with groups like the Makati Business Club which is headed by Rapa Ongpin.

On the other hand, Caritas has also been supported by the United States Agency for International Development and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes. In 2011, several Catholic bishops were involved in the “Pajero scandal” when they were found accepting grants from the PCSO to purchase sports utility vehicles.

The National Endowment for Democracy was established in 1983 as a publicly funded, private, non-profit organization to “promote democracy abroad” in an open manner. This was a direct response to the controversies and exposure of the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) covert operations in the 1960s, which included using private voluntary organizations to influence political situations in other countries.

Allen Weinstein, NED’s first president, in a 1991 interview with the Washington Post, stated: “A lot of what we do today was done covertly 25 years ago by the CIA”. The idea was to remove the stigma associated with secret CIA activities by conducting similar operations with relative openness. Critics, including former CIA officer Philip Agee and American scholar William Blum, have described the NED as a “sidekick” or the “white gloves” of the US government, performing overtly the subversion, infiltration, and sabotage that the CIA previously handled covertly.

The NED is almost entirely funded by the US Congress through annual appropriations and is required to consult with the State Department for foreign policy guidance, making it a tool of US foreign policy, unlike the clandestine nature of the CIA. In summary, while the NED is a separate entity from the CIA, its creation was motivated by a desire to continue certain types of political influence operations that the CIA could no longer effectively conduct in secret after its activities were exposed to public scrutiny.

The National Intelligence Coordinating Agency must stop the AFP propaganda and with hunt, and start investigating verified these foreign funding leads and those bending the law in this regard.

   

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