"Did you see Xi's body language, his sardonic smile?"
"Did you see Xi's body language, his sardonic smile?"
As expected, nothing came out of the well-scripted, one-on-one meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on the issue of the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.
Malacañang mouthpiece Salvador Panelo described the meeting as cordial between friends, with China maintaining its firm position that it does not recognize the ruling rejecting its sweeping claim over the South China Sea.
Panelo actually need not say more. Judging from Xi’s body language and his sardonic smile, he could have well said to Digong: “OK fine, now run along home like a good boy and tell your people you did your job.”
But Duterte did not not go home right away. Instead he watched the Philippine national basketball team get routed by Italy. It’s not his fault the Italians were taller who out-rebounded the Filipinos who were also outshot by the sharp three-point shooting Italians. But Digong did not need to dampen their spirits when he said before the game that the Pinoys would lose to Italy. Hey, this is your national team! The least you could have done was to cheer them on even if they were losing.
But this is our President who does not even wear a tie in formal meetings during official talks. Who does he think he is—Bolivian President Evo Morale of the indigenous Bolivian tribe?
Mr. Duterte sought the highest office in the land. He should therefore know there are certain requirements of the position that he has to follow, particularly proper attire. But even if he has a wardrobe consultant, we doubt the President would heed his advice regarding appropriate apparel. As they say, you may take out Duterte from Davao but you cannot take out the small-town mayor in him.
To those who are thinking of succession, settle down. The prospects are not that bright either. Vice President Leni Robredo is probably the meekest VP we have ever had while Senate President Tito Sotto—as the third in line of succession in the event the President can no longer perform the functions of the office—is not even a credible Senate president.
This issue brings to mind that amendments to the Constitution should stipulate that the president and the vice president should be elected together like in the United States for continuity, with the veep presiding over the Senate.
It should be interesting to see the tandems that will start to prance around for such a team-up for the 2022 presidential elections.
In the running for sure are midterm senatorial election front-runner Cynthia Villar, questionable Filipino citizenship Senator Grace Poe, active Senate investigators Richard Gordon and Panfilo Lacson. Let’s not forget popular boxing icon Manny Pacquiao. Whom these presidential aspirants will choose as running mates will emerge in the last three years of the Duterte administration.
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Meanwhile, there is a brewing unrest among farmers which the communist New People’s Army IS waiting to exploit. This the ironic fact that our famers who produce our basic food on the table are themselves starving.
This was brought out by former Congressman Renato Diaz of Nueva Ecija who runs the Center for Strategic Initiatives. In his CSI position paper submitted to the President, Diaz outlined the basic flaw of the government’s support for the farmers. Foremost of these is the low price of their harvested palay which is bought at obscenely low prices by Chinese traders who lend the farmers funds for fertilizers, rice seeds and farm equipment like tractors, ploughs, etc. Because the farmers are under pressure to pay off their loans, they sell their rice at ridiculously low prices to bring food to their own family table.
Let us take a lesson from the French Revolution. With the people starving, Queen Marie Antoinette said her famous quote that cost her head “if the people don’t have bread, let them eat cake.” Cake is a daily fare at the Versailles Palace known for lavish parties. And so with the Fall of the Bastille, Marie Antoinette was among those to be beheaded by guillotine.
We do not wish such a scary scenario for those presently serving in the administration. We do pray that they take the advice of Diaz in addressing this sensitive issue the communists can capitalize on. I would rather have a Duterte administration than a repressive communist regime as shown in the million people’s protests in Hong Kong.