‘Hugot’

Former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada weighed in the controversial remarks of President Rodrigo Duterte about “separating” from the United States.

Citing his own experience with alleged US “meddling” into internal affairs of the Philippines during his shortened stint at the presidency, Mr. Estrada backed President Duterte’s declaration to pursue an independent foreign policy for the country.

Mr. Estrada admitted for the first time in public what he has been keeping in his chest. He shared his experience with parrying US attempts to interfere into affairs of the state while he was still at Malacanang. This is why, Estrada cited, he understands where President Duterte is coming from.

At the height of his all-out war against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in 2000, Estrada revealed then US Defense Secretary William Cohen flew to Manila and personally hand-carried to him a letter from former US President Bill Clinton. In his letter, Clinton allegedly asked Estrada to stop the military offensive against the Muslim rebels in Mindanao to ensure the safe recovery of an American being held hostage in Basilan. US strictly observes a no-ransom payment policy.

At that time, the kidnap-for-ransom bandit group Abu Sayyaf was holding hostage an American tourist, Jeffrey Schilling. Philippine military authorities later found out Schilling had been frequently travelling in and out of Mindanao and thus raised suspicions on his activities. Then 25 years old, Schilling had a Filipina wife who happens to be a relative of the Abu Sayyaf.

But the former President declined to issue a stand down directive to the ongoing military offensive against the MILF.

Fortunately, Philippine troopers rescued Schilling in April, 2001 after a successful raid of the Abu Sayyaf lair in Jolo, Sulu. After seven and a half months of captivity, Schilling safely returned to his family in the US.

Fast forward to today. Estrada particularly finds it odd why the US is taking issue on President Duterte’s all-out war against illegal drugs when there is clear and present danger that the country may become a “narco” state due to the gravity of this problem.

“Not because the US is helping us, we will just allow it to interfere in our internal affairs. We are a sovereign country. We have our own Constitution. The President is right with what he is doing. Why do they (US) have to interfere?” Estrada rhetorically asked.

While in extended state visit in Beijing last week, President Duterte announced the country’s “separation” from the US, saying the Philippines will re-focus to China and even to Russia and Japan henceforth.

But upon his arrival back to the country late Friday night, President Duterte clarified “separation” does not mean the Philippines is severing or cutting its diplomatic ties with the US. “What I’m really saying is a separation of foreign policy,” President Duterte explained. What he meant was, he added, it is now time the Filipinos should not just be merely following what the Americans dictate or act on US cue.

The Chief Executive stressed this is merely consistent with his previous pronouncement to pursue an independent foreign policy for the country during his watch.

The clarification is also consistent with the previous back-pedaling of President Duterte when he conceded the country, especially the Philippine military cannot afford to cut its “umbilical” ties with the US. This was to acknowledge the two nations are bound by the existing Philippine-US Mutual Defense Treaty; the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA); and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

In his arrival press conference held at the Davao International Airport, President Duterte said he recognizes the need to consult with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) which are both large recipients of US military aid.

“That’s why better be careful with the word ‘we separate or severed, severed our diplomatic relations.’ Second one is not feasible. Why? Because the Filipinos in the United States will kill me,” the President quipped, given the fact most of us Filipinos have relatives living in the US. But where do President Duterte and Estrada draw their seeming anti-US sentiments?

Estrada swears he had nothing against the US. In fact, he was granted a US visa again. Estrada was among the so-called “Magnificent 12 Senators” who voted to abrogate the Philippine-US Military Bases Agreement (MBA). The rejection of the MBA led to the closure of Subic Naval Base in Zambales and the Clark Air Base in Pampanga, and other smaller US military bases and camps in the Philippines.

Where does President Duterte’s “hugot” – as we say in the latest popular parlance among the young ones – against the US come from?

On a personal, President Duterte earlier related his bitter experience when – as still a struggling young man – he applied for US visa but was denied for unknown reasons.

But Duterte’s beef against the US was more than this personal affront. While he was already the Davao City Mayor, he got “disrespected” when a British-American national, Michael Meiring who was arrested for bombing attempt was “shanghaied” out of the country to flee from prosecution.

Meiring was injured when the bomb he was reportedly preparing prematurely exploded in his room at a local hotel in Davao City sometime in 2002. Meiring, a suspected Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent, allegedly posed as a miner exploring the gold rush site in Southern Mindanao for several years.

He recalled former US ambassador to the Philippines at that time, Francis Ricciardone, promised to update him on their investigations about this incident. He got no official report neither any apology from the US government for spiriting out Meiring. Until now that he is the President, he said, the case of Meiring remains a mystery to him.

He revealed, however, a purported attempt by a man supposedly identifying himself as working for the CIA, talked to him at one point of his campaign period during the May 9 presidential elections. The man – whom he did not name – asked him if he “can let this thing pass” and that he retorted there was nothing he can do anymore about it.

Now we know where President Duterte draws his “hugot” line about purported “CIA assassination plot” against him. Obviously, President Duterte’s first-hand encounter with US “meddling” gives him a lot of things to do.