And after I watched a video clip from a local TV morning show where she was a guest, I found her to be a graceful (papaya) dancer as well.

I refer to Ambassador Kristie Kenney of the United States.

***

It is a pity that some of the people Ambassador Kenney represents in this country could not be as graceful. Instead, they behave like brutes.

Take the case of that US soldier, a Master Sergeant Ronburg, who belongs to the Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF) Sulu Forward Base in Camp Teodulo Bautista, Jolo. He ordered the district hospital in Panamao, Jolo to close down at six every night, threatening to shoot on sight anybody inside the hospital premises after that time. Geez!

After JSOTF public affairs officer Lt. Cmdr. Melissa Shuermann and US Embassy spokesperson Rebecca Thompson initially denied the veracity of the report, JSOTF commander Major Eric Walker apologized for the incident.

Credit must be given to Dr. Silak Lakkian, Panamao district hospital chief and Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan for exposing the incident and standing up to the Americans.

I’d be interested to know what the Department of Foreign Affairs of Secretary Alberto G. Romulo has done or is doing about this matter. Hoy, gising!

***

Now, what is an American military "forward base" doing in Jolo? That’s against the Constitution. Surely, that is not within the purview of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) which is supposed to cover only military exercises. There are none going on.

Paging Ms. Gloria M. Arroyo. In case she is not aware, allowing the presence of foreign military bases, troops or facilities in the national territory is a violation of the Constitution and is an impeachable offense. She should, therefore, not be surprised if the next impeachment move against her includes this offense.

***

Have you noticed how people who talk about the presidential election that is supposed to take place in 2010 are at the same time saying "it’s too early to talk about it?"

I also believe it’s too early to talk about it. But since everybody is already doing it, I might as well join the fray.

Ms. Arroyo’s lawyer Romulo Macalintal says the only former president who is eligible to run for re-election is Cory Aquino because she was never elected. According to him, she became president only by virtue of EDSA I. (Ms. Aquino’s son, Senator Noynoy Aquino, asserts his mom was elected president under the 1973 Constitution.)

Based on his own reasoning, Macalintal might as well have said that Ms. Arroyo is also eligible for re-election. She did not win the 2004 election. Former Comelec commissioner Virgilio Garcillano and some elements of the police and military won it for her. So there.

***

I said presidential election "that is supposed to be held in 2010" because it is plain to see that certain moves being taken this early tend to show that Arroyo and her minions will do anything and everything to "extend her services to the nation" beyond 2010.

The only thing that may be considered reassuring that any such move, like amending the Constitution, will be thwarted is the presence of so many president-wannabes in the Senate. But if the people’s initiative route is tried once again, things will of course be different.

As the cliché goes, having ridden the tiger, getting off it will almost certainly not be a very attractive option for Ms. Arroyo. She will have other options like going into exile to escape the people’s wrath that will follow soon after she leaves Malacañang, but I think that will be at the tail end of her possible choices.

***

There is one thing that the president-wannabes in the opposition should be talking about right now before it gets too late. And that is the much-needed reforms in the electoral system, in particular the computerization of elections. Otherwise, anyone of them may well end up as another victim of a Garcillano or Bedol type of Comelec operator.

The opposition should also try to ensure that the agreement forged by former Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz with the military establishment limiting the role of armed forces personnel in the conduct of elections is fully carried out.

***

It is reported that the agreement with the US lobbying firm Covington & Burling LLP is about to be signed.

It remains my contention that engaging the services of a lobbying firm isn’t indispensable in promoting the nation’s interests in the US. However, since the government appears to be decided in going ahead with the contract, the next best thing that could be done would be to maximize the benefits we can derive from it.

I submit that paying half a million dollars to the lobbying firm would be worth it if it could swing within six months just two things: the long-delayed veterans bill and the clean-up by the US Government of the toxic wastes left by its armed forces in the former Clark and Subic military bases. If Covington and Burling could accomplish these, its services would be worth every penny we pay it.

Just recently, the People’s Task Force for Bases Cleanup (PTFBC) reported that over 300 victims around Clark and Subic have died from mostly cancer since 1997. The PTFBC was formed in 1992 after the US General Accounting Office admitted in a report the "widespread contamination in the Clark and Subic bases."

The PTFBC has just signed a memorandum of agreement with Pampanga Governor Eddie "Among Ed" Panlilio regarding a support program for victims of the toxic wastes.

***

Speaking of Among Ed, most politicians in Pampanga have been trying to make life difficult for him. I suspect these are people who no longer enjoy the "error" of their ways insofar as the collection of quarry fees is concerned. Among Ed revealed the actual take of the province from the quarrying activities, a whopping P1 million a day, soon after he took over as governor. With that, he left no room for shenanigans in the spending and distribution of the fees. Another possible reason why some of these people want to get rid of Among Ed is his determination to end jueteng in the province.

There is even a move to have his election to the governorship of the province recalled because of his "incompetence." Only in the Philippines! Where else can you find honest and transparent governance equated with incompetence?

I personally would like to see this recall move come to a head. It would be a pleasure to watch the faces of the people behind it turn red in shame. I am almost sure the people of Pampanga will reject such a move, notwithstanding the machinations of the people behind it. The Kapampangans have once rejected these people. They will reject them even more resoundingly this time around.

***

Today is the 256th day of Jonas Burgos’ disappearance.

We are still waiting what Ms. Arroyo and her minions in the military and police will do in the wake of the issuance by the Court of Appeals of the writ of Amparo petitioned by the lawyer of Jonas’ mother, Edita.

I’d like to repeat here what I’ve said before – when all is said and done, it will be the extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances that will do Ms. Arroyo in.