THE SENATE committee on ethics yesterday dismissed complaints filed against Senators Panfilo M. Lacson and Antonio F. Trilanes IV, and “dismissed without prejudice to refiling” the complaint against Senator Leila M. De Lima. Majority Leader Vicente C. Sotto III, committee chair, said the cases were junked due to lack of jurisdiction. As for Ms. De Lima, he said the ethics complaint against her may be revived if the courts would uphold that she has violated disobedience to summons under the Revised Penal Code. Former Customs commissioner Nicanor E. Faeldon filed the complaint against Messrs. Lacson and Trillanes in September last year in connection with the Senate investigation on the illegal drug shipment at the Bureau of Customs. Meanwhile, three ethics complaints were filed against Ms. De Lima by House leaders for allegedly preventing a former aide to attend a congressional investigation. Four cases against Senators Trillanes, Richard J. Gordon and Ana-Theresia Baraquel-Hontiveros remain pending at the committee. — Camille A. Aguinaldo
THE DEPARTMENT of Labor and Employment Western Visayas office (DoLE-6) is preparing to hold a job fair for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the region who were recently repatriated from Kuwait. “There will be a jobs fair that will be done for those returning OFWs para makahanap sila ng trabaho (so they can find work),” said DoLE-6 Director Johnson G. Cañete. He said the activity will help returning OFWs find jobs. The death of OFW Joanna Demafelis of Sara, Iloilo, whose body was found in a freezer in an abandoned apartment in Kuwait, has prompted President Rodrigo R. Duterte to order a travel ban to the Gulf state. Mr. Cañete said livelihood assistance from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) will also be given to repatriated workers. “If there are undocumented OFWs that arrive and will be repatriated we have also the National Reintegration Center for OFWs who will give services. The assistance DoLE provides is limited as the beneficiaries should first get their benefits from OWWA,” he said.
UNEMPLOYMENT
Meanwhile, Mr. Cañete said addressing unemployment remains a major challenge in Western Visayas, as job opportunities “are not that much.” “Every year, we produce graduates so the tendency is for the unemployment rate to go higher. We find that most of our graduates will find themselves unemployed at the end of the day,” he said. Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the unemployment rate in the region increased from 3.2% in October 2016 to 5.6% in the same period last year. The number of unemployed individuals in the region has also ballooned to 183,000 in 2017 from 108,000 the previous year. “Truly, Western Visayas has a problem with unemployment,” said Mr. Cañete. The higher unemployment rate, he added, is also partly due to jobs mismatch. The DoLE official said they are working closely with other government agencies to address the situation. — Louine Hope U. Conserva
WITH NO other proposals submitted to challenge the P18-billion development plan of Universal Hotels and Resorts, Inc. (UHRI) at the South Road Properties (SRP), Cebu City Mayor Tomas R. Osmeña said they are now preparing to endorse the contract for approval by the city council. “It’s supposed to be submitted to the council anytime now for their approval. The bidding has been unchallenged. There was one or two others that inquired about it, but did not push through. I think it’s going to push through,” Mr. Osmeña told reporters. The deadline for the submission of Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to contest the UHRI proposal was last Feb. 14. UHRI is proposing to lease the eight-hectare lot on Kawit Island at the SRP to build a hotel, restaurant, casino, convention center, yacht club, and waterpark, among other facilities. Mr. Osmeña said once the deal with UHRI is closed, the city will then push through with the sale of another three-hectare lot at the SRP. — The Freeman
FOREIGN AND local food manufacturers and processors have expressed interest to locate at the 63-hectare Anflo Industrial Economic Zone (ecozone) in Panabo City, according Damosa Land, Inc. (DLI) Vice-President Ricardo F. Lagdameo. The ecozone, managed by DLI’s sister company Anflo Industrial Estate, is located beside a DLI mixed-use project. Mr. Lagdameo said they are in talks with more foreign firms, but he is optimistic that there will also be local companies coming in. “The likelihood that the next investor would be foreign is high. But there are several local companies that have expressed interest and these are mostly in food manufacturing and processing as well. I would like to see more local food manufacturer and food processor locating because it is also a sign of how they are leveling up their businesses,” Mr. Lagdameo told the media in a recent interview. At present, the sole local locator at the ecozone is Sagrex Foods, Inc., which is setting up a facility for frozen plantain for export. — Maya M. Padillo
FIFTEEN years — and 1.5 million units sold worldwide — after the introduction of the BMW X3 Sport Activity Vehicle (SAV), the third generation of this “athlete” sibling of the five X Series brands (which include the X1, X4, X5 and X6) on Feb. 9 debuted in the Philippines.
And SMC Asia Car Distributors Corp. (SMCACDC), the new importer, distributor and service provider of BMW automobiles in the country, made it clear even before the latest models rolled onto the stage that this reiteration of the X3 would be best enjoyed by owners and drivers that were like the X3 themselves: Strong-willed, dynamic individuals “on a mission.”
SMCACDC President Maricar C. Parco summed it up when she said: “We are excited to open 2018 with a positive outlook towards BMW’s growth in the country. We start that tonight with the unveiling of a BMW masterpiece that is on a mission like no other. The new X3 unifies the distinctive ‘X’ character, exceptional handling that is expected from a BMW, dynamic performance to push boundaries, and allows its driver to pursue his passions like never before.”
SMCACDC itself is on a mission to regain for BMW the top spot as the country’s bestselling European car brand, a position rival premium car maker Volkswagen has been holding since 2016. In last year’s sales figures furnished by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc., Volkswagen retained its number one spot by a mere 13 vehicles (1,363 vs. 1,350).
The unveiling of the new X3 seems to hint that this SAV would be the one to overcome that final hurdle to the top, as members of Spartan Race Philippines, the local arm of what is claimed to be the world’s largest obstacle course racing event, climbed bare-handed up 20-foot ropes to remove the curtains, signaling the rollout of the two variants of the X3, the xDrive20d xLine and the xDrive20d M Sport.
Marketing and product planning director of SMCACDC Karl B. Magsuci provided the pertinent details of the new X3.
“While this new X3 follows its predecessor’s rugged off-road looks with its sporty presence, the new generation brings this design language a step further with a more sophisticated, more muscular look,” he explained.
“The xLine trim with radiator grille and other exterior details in satin aluminum and specifically designed 19-inch light-alloy wheels emphasize the robustness of the SAV, while the xDrive20d M Sport model focuses its attention to the dynamic gifts of the all-new X3 with M aerodynamic features, a particularly dramatic design on the 19-inch light-alloy wheels, and the new exterior paint shade of Phytonic Blue.”
Mr. Magsuci also revealed that the chassis of the new X3 is lighter than the previous model by 50 kilograms, thanks to the use of aluminum material in the engine and suspension components. The 40:20:40 split folding rear seat back rest is also able to expand boot capacity from 550 liters to as much as 1,600 liters.
In addition to the latest version of the BMW iDrive system fitted as standard, the Professional navigation system opens up the touch screen and gesture control — functions which have so far been exclusive to the current BMW 7 Series and new BMW 5 Series. The 10.25-inch touch-sensitive central display provides a quick summary of important information, and offers users intuitive access to whatever they are looking for. Gesture control allows numerous infotainment system and telephone functions to be operated intuitively using finger and hand gestures.
Moreover, the Parking Assistant makes parking easier as the system measures potential spaces while driving past at a low speed and aids the driver in steering, acceleration, braking and gear selection to automatically position the car into parallel and lateral parking spaces. This function can be overridden by the driver at any time.
Mr. Magsuci also explained that the improved eight-speed Steptronic transmission and the BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system complement the powerful 2.0-liter BMW TwinPower Turbo diesel engine that produces 190 hp and 400 Nm of torque.
Post-TRAIN Law prices for the two X3 variants were also revealed at the launch: The xDrive20d xLine costs P4.390 million while the xDrive20d M Sport goes for P4.590 million.
CHINA-HEADQUARTERED vehicle manufacturer Foton opens the door to a new age of mobility powered by cleaner, more powerful, yet more fuel-efficient engines adhering to the more stringent Euro4 emission standard.
Marketed as Blue Energy, the new-generation engines are conceived and built for Foton by Columbus, Indiana-based diesel power plant expert Cummins. The company had signed an agreement with Foton to form the Beijing Foton Cummins Engine Co., Ltd. (BFCEC) in 2006. Today, its plant in China makes more than 400,000 engines a year.
Said Foton Motor Philippines President Rommel Sytin at the recent Blue Energy launch: “Foton is always committed to provide exceptional product lines through scientific and technological innovations, and Blue Energy is the continued expression of this promise… [It is] a product of earnest R&D that serves up a host of benefits such as power, durability, reliability, excellent efficiency and clean operation.”
The Foton initiative allows it to keep in lockstep with the government fiat for the introduction of cleaner-emission vehicles as mandated by the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999, the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System, and DENR Administrative Order No. 2015-04.
Two variants of the Euro4 power plants are made available locally — the Foton Cummins ISF 2.8 and 3.8. Both are engineered to promote low intake temperature, prevent abnormalities in combustion, and operate more quietly — while providing improved low-end torque pulling power. The heightened performance is complemented with fuel efficiency.
The engine is attached to a more efficient turbocharger; an improved exhaust-gas recirculation system to yield lower emission and promote more thorough burning of fuel; a new, computer-governed common rail direct injection system that results in optimized air/fuel mix; a diesel oxidizing catalyst and particle oxidizing catalyst which basically convert carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, and particulates to carbon dioxide and water; and an improved turbo intercooler. Less particulate matter is emitted, and the risk of engine damage has been slashed.
Introducing the new Foton Tornado M4.2C light-duty truck are (from left) chairman of the House Committee on Transportation Rep. Cesar V. Sarmiento, Foton Motor Philippines President Rommel Sytin, and Foton International’s Milo Gao.
Foton Motor Philippines still has an existing portfolio of Euro3 vehicles, and the Blue Energy variants will sport a blue and silver decal to visually distinguish them. The firm says that three variations of the popular Tornado light-duty truck, Toplander A/T SUV, Traveler and Toano vans, and Thunder A/T pickup will get Blue Energy options.
MODERN LIGHT-DUTY TRUCK
In addition to its Blue Energy engines, Foton also presented its new light-duty truck, the Tornado M4.2C. Priced at P1.19 million (for the cabin chassis), the vehicle is powered by the previously mentioned ISF 3.8 Foton Cummins Blue Energy Euro4 engine. The turbocharged (with intercooler) 14-foot truck musters 500 Nm and 154 hp, and features a computer-controlled Bosch common rail direct injection system. For cleaner operation, the engine boasts exhaust gas recirculation technology, plus DOC (diesel oxidizing catalyst) and POC (particle oxidizing catalyst) for enhanced fuel efficiency and lower emission.
The new Tornado variant is touted as the most advanced in its class — boasting safety technologies and features such as WABCO braking technology and a reverse sensor and camera, according to Foton Motor Philippines executive vice president Anna Maria Parado. A redesigned panoramic windshield provides increased visibility, while an additional passenger-side mirror enhances blind-spot coverage. The height of the truck’s headlights can be adjusted; three-point ELR seat belts come standard.
Within the spacious, comfortable cabin is an advanced LED touch screen at the center of the vehicle’s infotainment system. This accommodates the imaging when reversing, and makes possible Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free calling and music. The system is also GPS-ready, and features an MP5 and SD card slot. Steering wheel buttons for cruise control, entertainment, and radio and call functions are also available. Air-conditioning is standard. Dual overhead compartments are ideal receptacles for delivery documents and other valuables, and the center seat backrest can be collapsed to reveal cup holders and an additional storage compartment. The steering column can be tilt-adjusted, and the seats are ergonomically designed — with the driver’s seat adjustable in four ways, while the passenger seat can be reclined.
The Tornado M4.2C has a high-strength steel chassis that allows higher payload capacity and heightened stability — particularly when loaded. A rivet-less upper-frame chassis means easier fitting of various cargo body configurations, and a corrosion-free alloy fuel tank and air cylinder ensures many years of worry-free use. The company also highlights its robust after-sales service, underscored by a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty.
“The Philippines now joins Singapore and Vietnam as the first countries to implement Euro4 as emission standard — well ahead of other ASEAN neighbors like Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand… that’s something we can be proud of,” said Mr. Sytin.
NEARLY three years have passed since Toyota Motor Philippines introduced the current Hilux pickup, so it can only be expected that the model has now been updated.
Launched on Feb. 13 was the new Hilux Conquest, available in both four-wheel drive and two-wheel drive configurations, each of which can be ordered with manual or automatic transmissions. Prices for the Hilux Conquest lines are set between P1.311 million and P1.745 million.
Whichever spec is chosen, the latest Hilux variant is identified by a larger dark grille, a busier fascia with reshaped recesses for the fog lamps, daytime running lights, a prominent sport bar on the cargo bed, a bed liner, and black side-view mirrors with built-in turn signals. Also new are the truck’s wheels, which have grown to 18 inches in diameter.
Hilux’s Conquest variant sports unique trim; large tailgate badge makes sure these cannot be missed.
Other additions sported by the Hilux Conquest are smart entry, cabin furniture in black, and a multimedia unit with a 6.5-inch touch screen panel and control buttons on the steering wheel. Body colors offered are Super White, Attitude Black Mica and Nebula Blue Metallic, all of which are adorned by a big “Conquest” graphics on the tailgate, as well as blacked-out trim all throughout.
All mechanical components of the Hilux remain the same in the Conquest line, including the model’s four-cylinder diesel engine that’s boosted by a variable-nozzle turbocharger with an intercooler.
THE new Peugeot Traveller MPV and a diesel-powered version of the Peugeot 3008 GT Line SUV have been added to the brand’s range in the Philippines. The Traveller sells for P3.390 million while the 3008 diesel is priced at P2.790 million.
The new Traveller — billed by the company as a “VIP shuttle” — is now marked by the same exterior design elements found on Peugeot’s new generation of SUVs and sedans. Inside, the van has seats that can be rearranged to make room for more cargo, or to allow the second row to face the third row. Designed to fit seven people, the van’s cabin has plenty of storage cubbies and is equipped with a pair of captain’s seats, a retractable sliding table, tri-zone climate control, two concealable glass roof panels, 12-volt and 220-volt power sockets, and USB ports.
Powering the Traveller is a 2.0-liter BlueHDI diesel engine that, according to Peugeot, is “known for its fuel efficiency… [and] provides the right amount of power and torque.”
Peugeot 3008 now looks like a proper SUV.
The latest 3008 has the same 150-hp, 370-Nm BlueHDI diesel engine.
Similar to the model’s gasoline-fed variant, the 3008 GT Line diesel has Peugeot’s i-Cockpit, essentially a combination of a digital dashboard, elevated seating position, and a multifunction touch screen display. The feature also includes scent diffusers, seat massagers, cabin mood lighting and driving modes.
Both the Traveller and the diesel 3008 are now available at Peugeot dealerships.
If you’re one of those who feel suffocated in the age of social media, you must be cheering every time you detect even the faintest sign of life in the arts, particularly literature. In a time when hardbound tomes have given way to inane memes, and discerning essays to click-bait garbage, just the feel of physical paper is enough to give some of us an orgasm.
If, at this point, it still isn’t clear to you that I’m talking about books, you may go back to your Facebook page now. I understand and will not judge you.
If, on the other hand, you salivate at the mere mention of published writing, let me tell you that the Woodstock (Coachella for those who share OOTD pics on Instagram) of bookworms is in town. Now, there’s a possibility you haven’t heard of this, as news about the event has gone viral online. Like I said, many of those who will greatly appreciate what I’m about to share wisely stay away from the Internet, so there’s little to no chance you will have gotten wind of this.
I’m referring to the Big Bad Wolf book fair from Malaysia, which opened its doors in the Philippines — World Trade Center in Pasay City, to be exact — on Feb. 16 and will be here until the midnight of Feb. 25. I say “midnight” to underscore the fact that this massive book sale is open 24 hours a day. I went at 2 a.m. last Sunday and the place was packed with people who presumably detest social-media influencers.
I’m sure you’ve been to a book sale. Heck, we even have a store called Booksale. But Big Bad Wolf is another kind altogether. For one, the items are really cheap, discounted at 60-80% of their original selling prices. Many of the books you’ve been eyeing at Fully Booked or on Amazon may be had here for just half or even a third of the price.
For another, the venue is vast. As in car-show-hall vast. If you’re visiting and you only have an hour to spare, forget it. Just go another time. You can easily kill three hours here and not notice it at all.
Because the location is huge, there are enough sections to confuse and infuriate a benighted Internet troll. You have kids? Bring them. They’ll get lost in the Children section. For the corporate executive? There’s the Business and Leadership section. For the homemaker? There’s the Cooking and Baking section.
Ah, of course there’s a two-table Transportation section for car enthusiasts. Most of the books here are from British publishers, and many are admittedly old, but quite a number of them are still worth a place on your motoring bookshelf. There are dozens of car- or motorbike-related titles that are so affordable you’ll immediately regret not bringing enough cash.
But to spare you the agony of having to decide which books to take and which ones to leave, below are my top 10 picks from the motoring titles. There are many more. I have no doubt you can come up with your own favorite list.
Just a tip: Please avoid taking selfies. It’s irritating to those who are there to actually buy books.
1. How To Drive: The Ultimate Guide, From The Man Who Was The Stig (P480);
2. 50 Cars That Changed The World (P290);
3. Car Design Asia: Myths, Brands, People (P1,150);
4. The Limit: Life And Death In Formula 1’s Most Dangerous Era (P230);
5. The Encyclopedia Of Formula 1 (P390);
6. Car Emblems: The Ultimate Guide To Automotive Logos Worldwide (P230);
Reflecting on the French Revolution, British Philosopher Edmund Burke warned against the dangers of radical change. For him, gradual reform is always preferable to violent departure from status quo, and for a good reason.
This isn’t to say that he was a reactionary conservative, a stubborn defender of contemporary state of affairs irrespective of its demerits. If anything, the Irish-born statesman promoted change, since a “state without the means of some change, is without the means of its own conservation.”
Stagnation and mediocrity isn’t an option, especially since that means susceptibility to, overtime, anarchy or, in other cases, predation by more dynamic societies. The story of European colonization is precisely the failure of our ancestors in the Orient was to come up with “the means of some change” for “the means of its own conservation.”
Instead, Burke believed in the preservation of the best elements of the existing order, while incorporating much needed reforms in order to serve the society’s evolving needs. Well-designed and effectively implemented reforms are like supplements that keep the body politic healthy and eject the reservoir of toxins that inevitably arise from structural contradictions of any modern society.
For him, the mistake of radicals and revolutionaries was to throw out the proverbial baby of order with the bathwater of political decay. If anything, Burke argued that any radical change — no matter how noble the nature of its intentions — carries the inevitable risk of chaos and violence.
Today’s most successful nations such as China took Burke’s lesson to heart, preserving the best elements of their Confucian past, while incorporating capitalist principles with distinctly Chinese characteristics.
Decades earlier, Japan and Newly Industrialized Countries such as Taiwan and South Korea took a similar path. In Burke’s logic, what made China a superpower isn’t Mao’s violent revolution, which reduced a once proud civilization into a Gulag, but instead Deng Xiaoping’s adaptation in the shape of calibrated reforms, which awakened a sleeping dragon.
Burke warned against change for the sake of change, and those who mindlessly seek destruction of status quo without contemplating the implications of imposing new order. In today’s lexicon, he shed light on the law of unintended consequences, a reality that should be central to our discussion of Charter Change in the Philippines.
On paper, all constitutions tend to look majestic. Our 1987 constitution, for instance, is widely considered as one of the most well designed liberal documents ever created by mankind, drawing on the best elements of enduring democratic constitutions, especially in the Anglophone episteme. Or, at the very least, that’s how the framers of our existing constitution put it with a touch of biting persuasion.
Yet the 1987 Constitution is far from perfect, even in its very design. My main concern with it is the fundamentally anti-Marcosian nature. It’s more an anti-thesis, namely a negation of a preceding order, than an affirmation of evolving realities that a mid-sized nation faces in an age of globalization.
In the attempt to prevent another Marcosian nightmare, marked by ballooning debt and human rights calamity, our existing Constitution deprives the opportunity for competent leaders to enact a long-term vision for the Philippines, while enabling a protectionist economic environment to the detriment of our overall productivity.
A cursory look at democratic practices around the world shows that, for instance, six years is too short for a competent leader, but too long for a terrible one. This is why most advanced democratic nations have reelection for their heads of state.
This creates a strong incentive for good performance in first years in office, lest one fails to secure reelection, while giving sufficient time to leaders to think and act across longer temporal horizons.
It took well more than six years for Barack Obama to get most of his major initiatives, from health care to marriage equality, passed constitutional hurdles. Anyone familiar with development planning also knows that it often takes a decade for major economic transformation to crystallize and take root.
Thus, another perverse effect of our single, six-year term in office is that newly elected presidents tend to shamelessly take credit for all the good reforms of their predecessors, while conveniently laying all the blame for their failures on them too.
Our excessive constitutional restrictions on foreign investments are another point of concern. Sure, econometric studies show that legal restrictions are not primary drivers of investment flows, but they matter nonetheless, especially when the Philippines is up against rival neighbors, which are willing to relax all forms of restrictions on foreign investments.
In its bid to joint the World Trade Organization (WTO) and now-defunct Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), Vietnam, for instance, completely overhauled its legal structure vis-à-vis trade and investment matters.
On top of that, they offer more competitive labor, geographical proximity to the Pearl River Delta industrial complex, and a wide range of incentives to attract foreign capital. There are of course other concerns with the existing constitution that exceed the scope of this column.
In short, our Constitution hasn’t been designed to accommodate these emerging realities in the 21st century. Thus, in principle, like Burke, I am for certain forms reforms to preserve the best elements of the existing order, even if this means certain constitutional amendments.
But seeking a complete Charter Change carries a wide range of unintended consequences, which we should take into consideration.
The problem, however, is that the defenders of the existing constitution fail to appreciate emerging realities that tend to render some aspects of law obsolete, while advocates of Charter Change tend to downplay if not completely ignore the inevitable risks that accompany radical change.
Richard Javad Heydarian is a non-resident fellow of the Stratbase ADR Institute.
In a moment of pique, I recently posted on social media that I always thought Harry Roque, spokesman of President Rodrigo Duterte, was “marunong” (intelligent). And I added: “Bobo pala (It turns out, he’s dumb).”
I’m taking that back. I don’t think Roque is dumb. His academic credentials are impressive and so is his track record as a lawyer.
So, how do you explain such naïve (at best) or idiotic (at worst) statements in a media interview concerning China’s construction of “artificial islands” in the West Philippine Sea? I’m quoting the news item verbatim:
“MANILA, Philippines — While China’s island-building in the West Philippine Sea may be worrisome now, one day, the Philippines will ‘thank’ China for them.
“This was what Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said during an interview with Franco Mabanta, a supporter of President Rodrigo Duterte, on Wednesday, Feb. 7.
“‘There will come a time when China’s might has ceased, when we will have to thank them for those islands,’ he said.”
“‘Clearly, eventually, those artificial islands will be ours if we can ask China to leave,’ he added, maintaining that only the Philippines can legally build artificial islands.”
The hope that China can be asked to leave territory it has grabbed couldn’t possibly be the opinion of someone who used to teach Constitutional Law at the University of the Philippines and finished his Master of Laws degree at the London School of Economics.
Sen. Grace Poe’s remark that Roque’s statement was “wishful thinking,” was rather benign. Idiotic is not even a good enough description of such gross naivete.
There can only be one explanation for this seeming lapse of lucidity on the part of Roque. He was simply echoing the opinion of his boss, Duterte.
In that context, hoping that China might someday willingly walk back on its territorial grabbing is not as bizarre as Duterte’s recent “joke” that China might want to make the Philippines one of its provinces.
In this Chinese Year of the Dog (in Tagalog, Taon ng mga Tuta), one can almost see poor Harry Roque asking his boss how he can explain the latest presidential foot-in-mouth gaffe.
“Sir, what do I tell the media? Shall I say you were just joking?”
“Of course, I was joking, p– ng ina!”
PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZJOHN ROSALES
“Pero sir, that joke may not have been politically correct!” protests Roque.
“Gago! Anong korek-korek? Basta’t sabihin mo joke only, tapos!”
And so, poor Harry Roque, as a loyal presidential spokesman, may be expected to translate into more respectable language the mindless profanity of his boss, as follows: “While there are clear advantages in closer bonds between the Philippines and China, it was obviously in the spirit of friendly and harmless good humor that President Rodrigo Duterte made that statement about the Philippines becoming a province of China.”
Hopefully, in giving that official explanation, Roque will not commit a Freudian slip and mutter under his breath: “Dati na naman, eh (It already is).”
At any rate, what choice does Roque have? A job is a job and as spokesman of the President, he is, in effect, only a microphone or a megaphone, magnifying and making public the words and thoughts of his current employer.
Do official spokespersons have a right to express their own views? Technically, no. If they want to do that, they must first resign. Of course, they can argue or reason with the boss, but the latter has the final say.
“Hoy, gago, pagagandahin mo lang ang salita ko para maging disente, pero huwag mong babaguhin ang ibig kong sabihin, intiendes (Hey, idiot, just make my language more decent but don’t change the meaning, understand)????”
Well, maybe I’m giving Duterte too much credit for all the inane statements of Roque. I frankly suspect that his recent rationalization for China’s assigning Chinese names to certain features in Benham Rise, sounds too much like vintage Roque.
Roque reasoned that such Chinese terms as “mami,” “siopao,” and “hototay,” are generally accepted by Pinoys but that hasn’t given the Chinese exclusive ownership of the Binondo edibles.
Sen. Ping Lacson was obviously having difficulty holding his temper when he chided Roque for the analogy. Said Lacson: “It’s probably a matter of time before we see Chinese structures on more artificial islands. Damn us! Are we this helpless?”
Honestly, Senator Lacson?
The President of the sovereign Republic of the Philippines thinks so. He thinks we are this helpless. Kaya, bow na lang ng bow, to use “Swardspeak.” (Incidentally, I believe the senator’s surname, Lacson, is also Chinese in origin).
But the travails of Roque are normal for anyone who would echo the thoughts of a boss who runs his mouth before his brain is in gear.
In a TV interview, former US vice-president Joe Biden described President Donald Trump as “having difficulty with precision in his statements.”
Biden was struggling to be politically correct, of course. What he really meant was that Trump has difficulty telling the truth.
But being untruthful is only half of the problem that Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has to cope with. Trump also flip flops like a pair of rubber slippers, shifting his position on issues based on what his supporters on Fox News urge him to say, think or do.
In her daily White House press briefings, Sanders has to struggle to make sense of the specious rationalizations made by Trump, as well as those that she apparently has to conjure by herself. When the members of the White House press corps keep getting back at her on a sticky issue, she snaps at them, pivots, passes the blame on to other parties, or shifts the topic away from the issue at hand, or simply ignores the questions and moves on to other topics.
Many times, the equivocation (at best) and the lies (at worst) are glaring. Concerning the resignation of accused wife-beater, Rob Porter, the assistant of Trump Chief of Staff John Kelly, Sanders had difficulty reconciling the facts with the White House fiction that Porter was asked to resign “within a few hours” after reports on his legal problems had been found out.
In fact, according to the FBI, the complete report on Porter had been submitted by the agency to the White House months earlier but certain individuals in the White House had chosen to ignore them. When confronted with this, Sanders pivoted and accused the FBI of not doing its job. That, of course, was an outright buck-passing lie. The FBI only submits its findings and leaves it to the government department concerned (in this case, the office of the chief of staff) to act on them. But Sanders, confronted with her weaseling, brazened it and then changed the topic.
You can almost see Sanders arriving home at the end of the day and being asked by her husband: “How was your day, honey?”
“As usual, dear. I had to take the bullet for President Pinocchio.”
But the bottom line is that both Roque and Sanders are probably very well paid. In the case of Roque, I believe he has his eyes on the Senate and will therefore take any bullet (virtual) for Duterte, in order to be well-positioned.
But he had better hope that his friends in China do not also decide to assign a Chinese name to him. Something like, Hally Loque.
Greg B. Macabenta is an advertising and communications man shuttling between San Francisco and Manila and providing unique insights on issues from both perspectives.
