Political fireworks greet Bongbong on Day One

PERRYSCOPE

Perry Diaz

JUNE 30, 2022 marked the date of the Marcoses’ return to power in the Philippines.   It was the most remarkable comeback of one family that was booted out of power 36 years ago during the EDSA People Power Revolution and sent the Marcos family to exile in Hawaii.
    It rained that day, which seemed foreboding of the newly inaugurated 17th President of the Philippines, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.   The day’s festivities included a “show of force” by the Philippine military.  Tanks rolled down on the parade ground.  Uniformed soldiers from the various military units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines were in their best uniforms.  And across the parade ground were the dignitaries and other government officials in their best barongs to match the new President’s simple barong.
    In Bongbong’s 26-minute inaugural address, he said:
    “I fully understand the gravity of the responsibility that you’ve put on my shoulders. I do not take it lightly but I am ready for the task.  I will need your help; I want to rely on it. But rest assured, I do not predicate success on the wide cooperation that’s needed.”  He asked for the people’s help, but he made it clear that he doesn’t need their cooperation to succeed.  So what is he going to do if he doesn’t get the people’s cooperation?  Declare martial law and rule by decree just like what his father did?
A divided house
“In this fresh chapter of our history, I extend my hand to all Filipinos. Come, let us put our shoulders to the wheel; and give that wheel a faster turn — to repair and to rebuild; and to address challenges in new ways; to provide what all Filipinos need; to be all that we can. We are here to repair a divided house; to make it whole and to stand strong again in the Bayanihan way, expressive of our nature as Filipinos.”
    It must be remembered that during Marcos Sr.’s brutal regime, he amassed billions of dollars in unexplained wealth and was accused of looting the country’s treasury.  Excessive foreign borrowing plunged the Philippines into debt and millions of Filipinos were mired in poverty. To quell dissent, he jailed political opponents, shut down media outlets, and imposed nine years of martial law, which witnessed tens of thousands of human rights violations.
Defended father’s legacy
And after claiming victory, Bongbong vowed to be a leader “for all Filipinos.”  To the world, he said: “Judge me not by my ancestors, but by my actions."  Hmm…  But he went on to praise—and defended—his father’s legacy and glossed over its violent past.   
    He said his father accomplished many things that had not been done since the country’s independence.  “I once knew a man who saw what little had been achieved since Independence in a land of people with greatest potential for achievement and yet they were poor. But he got it done,” Bongbong said.  “So will it be for his son. You will get no excuses from me."
    Bongbong promised to bring the country back to its “golden age” during his father’s rule.  But the truth of the matter is: The economy was in shambles when President Cory Aquino took over from Marcos in 1986.  The Central Bank was bankrupted and was put out of business. The country’s gold reserves mysteriously disappeared and the peso lost its international monetary value.  It became worthless.
    Bongbong took over an economy that was on the brink of imminent collapse.  The exchange rate went down to P55 to the US dollar.   Taxes became uncollectable including the Marcoses’ estate tax, which ballooned to P203-billion.  How do you expect to collect taxes from the people when their own president refuses to pay his taxes?  Bongbong should lead by example.
Charter change
But on Day One of his presidency, Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. introduced a resolution to change the presidential term of office from six years without reelection to five years with one reelection. 
    It seems that he’s more interested in laying the groundwork for him to stay in power much longer.  And perhaps stay in power long enough to pass it to his son Ferdinand Alexander Araneta Marcos III, also known as "Sandro" Marcos, who is now 28 years old.  He’ll be 40 years old in 12 years and would be eligible to run for president. 
    In his resolution, Gonzales cited the “overwhelming electoral mandate” that Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte received in the May 2022 elections.
    “The clear majority mandate of our new President and Vice President would be the green light from our citizenry to proceed to the discussion on Charter change,” Gonzales said in a statement.  Well, things could drastically change by then.  There is no point in discussing charter change right away.  Why don’t they wait for a little while longer and see how Bongbong’s presidency performs.
Confidence in the future
Bongbong must be commended for his confidence in the future: “I have 110 million reasons to start with you. Such is my faith in the Filipinos.”  However, he must make sure that he delivers on the promises he vowed to deliver.  Otherwise, he’d end up with 110 million unhappy Filipinos who would bring him down like they did to his father.
    He promised food self-sufficiency as his top priority.  And he will continue Duterte’s “Build, Build, Build” despite ballooning debt.  He also promised to fix shortcomings in Duterte’s Covid response.  
    He also promised to pursue an independent foreign policy, which is questionably unrealistic in today’s geopolitical reality where small countries have to kowtow to one of the superpowers to remain “independent.”  But he was mum on human rights, low on detail, and high on false claims.
    But there are certain things that he did not talk about in his address.  He did not talk about the corruption cases hounding his family.  Will he keep the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), which was created in 1986 for the sole purpose of recovering the ill-gotten wealth from the Marcoses and Marcos’ cronies?
As of 2021, the PCGG said it has recovered a total of P265 billion, or P175 billion in cash and P90 billion in assets.  About P125 billion in Marcos wealth remains under litigation.   So far, Bongbong has not appointed new members of the PCGG who serve at the pleasure of the president.  Until then, there is no active PCGG.  Critics raised the alarm that a second Marcos presidency could undermine PCGG’s mandate.
    On his first day in office, Bongbong also exercised his veto power on House Bill 7575 creating the Bulacan Airport Special Economic Zone and Freeport adjacent to the proposed airport city in Bulacan province.  
    He justified his veto because of its provisions that "pose substantial fiscal risks to the country" and its "infringement on or conflict with other agencies' mandates and authorities."
    Marcos also said that he decided to veto HB 7575 because it would be an additional burden to the taxpayers.  He said the measure was in contrast to the government's objective of developing a tax system with low rates and a broad tax base, as it "will significantly narrow our tax base with its mandated incentives applicable to registered enterprises.”
    Incidentally, the main sponsor of the bill was Sen. Imee Marcos, Bongbong’s sister.   Hmm… Was this another family moro-moro?  Perhaps, Bongbong should have solicited expert advice instead of killing the bill on his first day in office.  It will drive away foreign investors.
    The veto is reportedly seen as a sign of animosity between Bongbong and Imee, who has reportedly been pushed to the sidelines while First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos emerges as a major power broker in her husband’s administration.   
    It seems that political fireworks have greeted Bongbong on Day One.
(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

The future of US- Philippines alliance

Perry Diaz

LAST MAY 11, 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden called President-Elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to congratulate him on his recent election.  President Biden expressed his intentions to continue strengthening the alliance between the two countries.

    Biden said that he looks forward to working with Bongbong to continue strengthening the century-old US-Philippines alliance, “while expanding bilateral cooperation on a wide range of issues, which includes the fight against Covid-19 pandemic, addressing the climate crisis, promoting broad-based economic growth, and respect for human rights.”
    Bongbong’s spokesperson, Atty. Vic Rodriguez, said that the Philippines’ relationship with the U.S. “will get better” under Marcos Jr.’s presidency.
    Rodriguez said that the foreign policy of Bongbong would be “inclusive” while also ensuring that the interests of the Filipino people “come first and are never compromised, especially on our territorial integrity.  We will not be exclusive to anyone.”   Hmm… I think that should be directed at China and not the U.S. 
    Bongbong, however, said he would maintain the Philippines’ alliance with the U.S., and tread carefully with Beijing over a West Philippine Sea territorial dispute.
    Military deals between the U.S. and the Philippines “are advantageous to both countries,” Marcos told a virtual forum. The alliance between the two nations is “a special relationship,” and the U.S. “can do many things” to help the Philippines, he said.
    But he rejects the idea of aligning with just one country, and said the Philippines should carefully navigate its tensions with China.   “You have to be friends with everyone. You don’t want to be enemies with anyone,” he said.  Well, the Philippines has always been on friendly terms with everyone including China, which often borders on maritime disputes.
Treaty alliance
But Marcos Jr. should be reminded that the Philippines has only one defense treaty, which is with the U.S.  The U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) has been in effect since 1951.  The two countries also have a Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which was just extended recently.  They also have the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA).  In other words, the U.S. and Philippines are bound to each other like Siamese twins.  You attack one and you attack the other.   
    I think Marcos Jr. should take advantage of such military and defense arrangements.  Under EDCA, it allows the U.S. to rotate troops into the Philippines for extended stays and allows the U.S. to build and operate facilities on Philippine bases, for both American and Philippine forces.   
    However, the U.S. is not allowed to establish any permanent military bases.  It also gives Philippine personnel access to American ships and planes.
     Bongbong is eyeing a deal with China to resolve the West Philippine Sea territorial dispute.   He vowed never to give up “a single square inch” of the area where the country has sovereign rights.
Maritime dispute
The maritime dispute was one of the topics that Marcos Jr. and President Xi Jinping talked about over the phone when the Chinese leader congratulated him for winning in the presidential election.
    Marcos said he does not believe in the old thinking of the Cold War, where countries were either allies of the United States or the then-Soviet Union.
    "I think that we have to be just fine with independent foreign policy where we are friends with everyone.... We have to be good neighbors and we ask them to be good neighbors to them. It is of mutual benefit to our countries," he said.
    "We have to form alliances and partnerships because no country can do this, can recover or can change the geopolitical situation on their own. And that's why we have to forge partnerships, and those are the partnerships that will keep things stable," he added.
Continue Duterte’s policy
Although Bongbong vowed to continue Duterte’s pro-Beijing foreign policy and downplays the US-Philippines alliance, the fact remains that the Philippines is aligned with the U.S., having four defense agreements from mutual defense, to allowing U.S. forces on Philippine soil, to providing bases for American forces, and using the Philippines as a facility to store weapons.  Indeed, the Philippines is aligned with Uncle Sam in any way you look at it.
    However, he laid out his position on China, saying that he would set aside the landmark 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague ruling on the West Philippine Sea in favor of the Philippines over China.   In essence, it effectively ruled Beijing’s nine-dash line claim to the sea had no legal basis under the UNCLOS.
Bongbong’s naivete
It’s his opinion that the Philippines’ arbitral victory against China was “not effective” and that the “only practical option” for resolving the territorial dispute was a bilateral agreement with China.  He believes that he can come to an agreement with China, which just shows his naivete about how China operates on the world stage.
    Bongbong went further in saying he would dismiss any potential offer of assistance from Uncle Sam in negotiating with China, which makes one wonder:  How is Bongbong going to deal when more than 200 Chinese ships cordoned off the Whitsun Reef that prevented Filipino fishermen from fishing in the area?  
    It happened not too long ago and Duterte couldn’t do anything until American warships led by an aircraft carrier sailed through as Chinese warships began dispersing away.
    Evidently, Marcos Jr. is veering towards appeasing China hoping that diplomacy would prevail.   But by the same token, his relationship with the Biden administration is undergoing some adjustments.   He’ll never forget the day when the U.S. Sen. Paul Laxalt called the senior Marcos on February 26, 1986.  “Senator,” Marcos asked, “what do you think?  Should I step down?”     
    Laxalt, who felt a rush of sympathy for Marcos, replied, "I think you should cut, and cut cleanly. I think the time has come."
    There was a long pause that seemed to last for minutes. Finally, Marcos said softly, in a dispirited voice, "I am so very, very disappointed."
    In the end, Marcos got the bad news that his 20-year rule had to end from the senator who had brought him warnings from President Reagan four months earlier and who, he knew, spoke with presidential authority.
    Marcos Sr. then realized that without President Reagan’s support, he didn’t have a chance of survival.  He and his family boarded an American helicopter that flew them to Clark Air Base.  Then they boarded an American airplane on their way to exile. 
    Marcos had one last wish: To go to Paoay, Ilocos Norte and stay in the safety of his home province.  However, the pilot had an explicit order: Bring the Marcoses to Hawaii.
    Bongbong should—nay, must—never forget that.  History has a way of repeating itself.
(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)