A wasted Economic Summit, a wasted Senate investigation

It didn’t require a genius to conclude ab initio that the much-publicized National Economic Summit which took place yesterday at the Manila Hotel would be a futile exercise in polemics and talk-talk without direction.

We don’t solve our problems by discussion and listening to lectures or open forums. Everybody, including the janitor, already knows what’s wrong. The President, her Cabinet, Congress, and the judiciary have to work together to address them. What we need is not more debate but more political will – the guts to go into action.

The summit was poorly attended. The speeches were ho-hum. In the press conference that followed, some Cabinet members could not even trot out hard facts, statistics, and data, when questioned by the media. If you’re a Cabinet member, performing at least a six-day-a-week job, you’ve got to be able to reel off the figures from the top of your head. Otherwise, people will ask: What were you doing the past eleven months? Goofing off? Playing golf?

The trouble with our big shots is that they have an "aide mentality" (outside of "aid myself"). This means that they don’t depend on their own gut instincts, brain power, perspiration and diligence. They summon their army of aides, assistants, researchers and consultants to do the studying and paperwork for them. The result: When an aide isn’t around to answer things, they don’t know the answers. Why, they don’t even know the question.

The summit was a bust. Let’s just get back to work, if "get back" is the proper phrase to use. "Get to work at last" seems more appropriate.

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Another waste of time has been the Senate Blue Ribbon inquiry into the accusations levelled by businessman Pacifico "Pic" Marcelo against President Macapagal-Arroyo. That the President tried to shake down Marcelo for 51 percent of his under-capitalized, unsuccessfully company is not logical. It is ridiculous. Even the Godfather (Marlon Brando) didn’t say, face to face, with his victim: Gimme control of your company! He smoothly stated that he was giving him "an offer you can’t refuse."

It’s beyond belief and out of character of GMA to have been so clumsy and direct. Presidents – outside of Apo Ferdinand Marcos who, after all, was a dictator – don’t do things that way. When they wish to swat somebody, they send someone else to do the swatting.

The opposition is twisting itself into knots trying to fan the flames of that silly controversy and attempting to summon the President to testify in the Senate inquiry. About what? Give us a break. They obviously just want to get her into their hot seat and make her squirm. GMA is right to refuse to go.

And, by the way, what sort of gain "in aid of legislation" is being accomplished by the Senate in this matter? Our solons are not supposed to be some police investigative agency, Sherlock Holmes or Dick Tracey. They’re there to enact just laws and amend inadequate or outmoded ones. Anything beyond that, such as grandstanding, simply burns up taxpayers’ money, without benefit to the taxpayer.

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The President once more showed a yellow streak when she declared that the participation of the 19 US soldiers who planed in a few days ago was merely to advise and train our soldiers to deal with the Abu Sayyaf. She categorically ruled out a combat role for these US specialists.

The Chief Executive should simply have said: "The Americans are here to help recover their two hostaged citizens, missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham." Could any motive be clearer and more honest than that? Remember, another American, Guillermo Sobero, was beheaded early in that kidnap caper by the ruthless Abu Sayyaf. No wonder the Americans are concerned about their two remaining kidnap victims. They’re also here to assist us in the overall fight against terrorism.

The President, I hear, acted on the strong objections raised by Defense Secretary Angelo T. Reyes. The DND chief swore that we didn’t need American support or participation: "We can handle this ourselves!" You bet. General Reyes, as Armed Forces Chief of Staff and Defense Secretary under both ex-President Estrada and GMA has been chasing the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) for many years. And he hasn’t bagged them. Their top commanders, outside of "Global", remain free and sassy – spending their share of the ransom booty in dollars for that spectacular kidnap raid on Sipadan, and now their greasy profits from the Dos Palmas kidnapping. Reyes and AFP Chief General Diomedio Villanueva even set a final deadline for the military to crush the Abus. That deadline came and went last December 1.

We can handle it? What year? By what miracle? The Abu Sayyaf continue to humiliate us by running circles around our pursuing troops in Basilan, dragging their two worn-out American captives along with them. Of course, Reyes and our generals probably count it a greater humiliation if the Americans were to come in and really catch and "pulverize" the Abu Sayyaf. But this is no time for false pride, and get-up-on-your-high-horse amor propio. Anyway, even if they successfully formed the spearhead of a crushing blow against the Abus, the US contingent will probably give the credit to our armed forces. They’re funny that way. They may be arrogant, selfish, swaggering at times, then on other occasions gallant and courteous. As when the US generals and G.I.s stood aside at the last minute, and waved a Free French regiment through, so the French could have the honor of "liberating" Paris.

At this stage, we need all the help we can get.

John F. Kennedy in 1963 speech in Salt Lake City said: "We must recognize that every nation determines its policies in terms of its own interests." It is in our own paramount interest that the Abu Sayyaf be eradicated. That’s why we must go after them with everything we’ve got, including a timely assist from friends.

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Today, the province of Pampanga celebrates the 430th anniversary of its founding. The celebration in San Fernando City takes on added significance because it takes a place in the 11th month of a President who comes from Pampanga: Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

It’s even more remarkable that the province gave the country two Presidents, the other – our fifth Chief Executive – GMA’s own father, President Diosdado Macapagal, who occupied the nation’s top post between 1961 and 1965.

Indeed, for a province of such small size and population (as compared with the Ilocanos, Cebuanos and Tagalogs), Pampanga has supplied this republic with more eminent public officials per square meter than any other province. We have the heroic Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos who was executed by the Japanese. Although he hails from Tarlac, Ninoy Aquino was of Pampango origin.

Take the 15-member Supreme Court. There are five Pampangos, namely Justices Jose Melo, Reynato Puno, Jose Virug, Vicente Mendoza and Artemio Panganiban.

I understand that the nine-member House Electoral Tribunal there are five Pampango members, with Justice Melo as its chairman.

I’ve written much in this corner of corrupt judges. But Pampanga, too, over the past five years, has produced a crop of younger, more competent and honest trial court judges. Eight of them have been nominated for promotion by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), which annually submits its list to Malacañang for appointment. These are RTC Judge Angelica Quiambao, Irin Buam and Jocelyn Reyes of Angeles City; RTC Judge Divina Aquino-Imbulan and RTC Judge Jomelito Salvador of San Fernando City; and Guagua RTC Judge Jomel Mercado. Then we have MTC Judges Mylene Isip and Pamela Maxino. All of them were only between 31 to 42 years old when appointed to the judiciary.

Things are not perfect, naturally, in that eden of Central Luzon. Six MTC and RTC judges have been dismissed by the Supreme Court over the last five years for offenses ranging from dishonesty, immorality, gross ignorance of the law, and improper conduct. However, it can be said that a "fresh wind" is blowing in Pampanga. It is in the form of those mentioned above.

In business, in politics, in agriculture, Pampangos are – although a tiny "nation" – in the forefront of our national progress. This is the day we salute them!