‘How else explain the unnecessary trips she will be making again this month?’

That VFA again

I am now convinced more than ever that Ms. Gloria Arroyo is addicted to traveling or has become impervious to criticism (rhino-skinned?). How else explain the unnecessary trips she will be making again this month?

Right now, she is in Tripoli, Libya, for reasons that do not even deserve to be mentioned here.

Her next stop will be London to speak before the economic forum organized by The Economist magazine on l8 September.

After London, she goes to Saudi Arabia, not on a state visit as is being bandied about by her trumpeters, but merely to attend the inauguration of the Technical Institute of the King Abdullah University.

Immediately after Saudi Arabia, she flies to New York to go through the ritual of speaking before a half empty plenary hall of the UN General Assembly on 24 September.

As a former foreign service man, I do not believe any of the above trips will be cost effective in terms of benefits redounding directly to the people. They are not vital to the national interest, nor will the national image suffer if she didn’t go to any of them. I will debate publicly with her or her minions on this assertion.

In October, she will go to Thailand to attend the Asean Summit and then to Singapore the following month for the APEC Summit. So far…

One could readily see that the piecemeal announcement of Arroyo’s trips is intended to blunt the expected negative reaction from the public. Her last visit to the US still rankles.

For someone who deigns to lead the Filipino people, she is definitely not setting a good example. Ah, but the woman is in a class of her own – low or none. Have your pick.

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Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said it is not for the executive branch to restrain congressmen from tagging along on presidential trips, saying it’s the call of the House leadership.

True, but Arroyo has the absolute power to disapprove the inclusion of anyone in her entourage. The problem is she is always in a transactional mode, particularly when it comes to dealing with members of Congress.

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I have this uneasy feeling about Senator Santiago’s apparent bravado in calling for the abrogation or re-negotiation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). I cannot reconcile the fact that she is a rabid Arroyo lackey with her singing a tune different from Malacañang’s.

Is she now prepared to ditch Arroyo? Her husband to lose his government job? Has she forgotten the fact that Arroyo pulled out all the stops for her failed bid to become an ICJ judge?

Or is she in fact doing Arroyo’s bidding by agreeing to play the "good cop, bad cop" game? It is obvious the US is keen on maintaining her troops on our soil, so keen that she announced it unilaterally, without so much as a by your leave. So what is it that Arroyo is angling for, or wants, from Washington?

Then again, is it possible Arroyo really wants the agreement abrogated or re-negotiated, not so much because of the national interest as her burning desire to get back at or spite Washington for virtually telling her to step down in June next year? Just asking.

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I’ve always believed that the VFA is not consistent with Section 25, Article XVIII of the Constitution and is, therefore, null and void ab initio. One cannot abrogate an illegal document. It can be re-negotiated.

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Cellar dweller president wannabe Gilberto Teodoro of DND said abrogating the VFA will send a "bad signal to the rest of the world that the Philippines does not stand by its agreements."

On the contrary, it will send a signal to the world that we would no longer tolerate an iniquitous agreement that impinges on our national sovereignty. The world will respect us for that including, nay, especially the Americans.

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Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez inhibited herself from the investigation of the odious ZTE-NBN deal against Mr. and Ms. Arroyo, et al, obviously under the wrong notion that by doing so, she will not be accused of favoring the couple when, not if, they are acquitted.

As expected, the Arroyos were cleared of complicity in the deal – she, because of immunity from suit, which says a lot, and he, for alleged lack of evidence.

Co-accused Benjamin Abalos, former Comelec chief, and Romulo Neri, former NEDA head, the fall guys, were indicted. Both said they will appeal.

Abalos asked what was wrong with being nice to the ZTE people. Nothing, except that he was doing it for the intended purpose of their being nice to him in return.

On the other hand, Neri asked what was wrong with playing golf with Abalos and the ZTE people?" Nothing, but didn’t he say Abalos offered him a bribe of "200"? Is he playing dumb or what?

Neri also asked "Why me?" (His naivete, feigned or otherwise, is unbelievable!) It is because he wasn’t brave enough to reveal what Arroyo told him after he reported Abalos’ overture, aside from advising him not to take the bribe. That’s why!

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Imagine yourself to be a GSIS old-age pensioner residing in a foreign land with goodhearted relatives or friends. Then one day, your small pension earned over decades of faithful service to the government stops coming. How would you feel?

Well, that’s exactly how Ms. Thelma Coralde (thelmacoralde@yahoo.com) a retired schoolteacher, feels. She has not been receiving her measly monthly pension of $60 for nine months now, despite several follow-ups.

Ms. Coralde has undergone the SKYPE process instituted by GSIS for retirees living abroad. After faithfully following the instructions given her by GSIS, she wound up with a machine telling her "YOUR VOICE IS NOT AUTHENTICATED".

Also, imagine yourself having paid up your GSIS insurance policy and then discover that you could not collect its benefits after it matures.

That’s exactly what happened to Ms. Sylvia Reyes (spmreyes612@yahoo.com) and her husband Roberto. They have been waiting for the recomputation/adjustment of their maturity benefits when their policies Nos. CM-92889 and CM-148350 matured in June 2004 and July 2006, respectively.

Paging GSIS head Winston Garcia. Maawa naman kayo sa mga taong nagpa-pa-suweldo sa inyo!

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There are 302 days left before the end on 30 June 2010 of the stolen presidency of Ms. Arroyo, courtesy of "Garci", et al.

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Today is the 119th day of the third year of Jonas Burgos’ disappearance.