EDITORIAL

Miriam to JPE: Shut Up

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago wants the Senate president to shut up.

“(It is) always the best procedure when there is a perceived confusion such as this for everybody to zip up your mouth. Nobody should talk,” the feisty Senator said of Enrile, who still freely talks about the alleged “real story” behind Senator Antonio Trillanes’ back-channel negotiations with China.

This came after Enrile made a new allegation that Trillanes’ contacts included a Chinese military intelligence officer from the Chinese embassy.

Enrile cited a new “reliable source” apart from Philippine Ambassador to Beijing Sonia Brady, whose notes about the dispute between the Philippines and China over Scarborough Shoal had been revealed in a Senate plenary session last week.

“The question is why did the senate president obtain a copy of that report, which was not meant for him and how did he manage to do that?” Santiago said.

“That must never be revealed. You will never tell our antagonist or the other country who is having difference with us on any foreign policy. These are basic principles of international negotiation,” she added.

The female senator expressed fear that the Chinese government might take advantage of Trillanes’ tiff with the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Meanwhile, lawyer Oliver Lozano asked the Senate to investigate Trillanes’ “treasonable acts” days after filing treason against the senator at the Office of Ombudsman last week.

Lozano alleged Trillanes surrendered Panatag Shoal to Beijing to give way for a $70-billion Chinese oil exploration in the Philippines, which he claimed will give the embattled senator a kick-back amounting to $30 billion.

“What was the commitment of Sen. Trillanes that allegedly reduced Chinese ships in Scarborough Shoal?” Lozano asked in a letter he sent to Senate Secretariat on Monday, Sept. 24.

“If you are a backdoor negotiator upon dictation of China, you have no choice except to advance its interest to the prejudice of the Philippines. Treason or nopt, that is disloyalty to the public,” he noted.

The lawyer explained the only plausible consideration for China’s ship pull-out last May was “the surrender of Philippine sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal.”

Lozano also wanted to find out how much of government fund did Trillanes use in his trips as the country’s special envoy that will ease tensions between China and Philippines over territorial dispute.

The intention of appointing Senator Antonio Trillanes as backdoor negotiator is noble. However, any and all information of the activities of Sen. Trillanes with the Chinese officials must be kept a state secret. Let the Department of Foreign Affairs perform its diplomatic job. All information ready for release must be done via diplomatic channel. 

Fund Reconciliation of GSIS Deductions

Some provincial personnel of Aklan complaint of being deducted some amount allegedly for the payment of their money obligations with the GSIS. Some complaint of being deducted for loans they claimed payments were already completed.

In view of these, agency reconciliation of he provincial government of Aklan is being made. The department concern was given six months to complete the reconciliation beginning August  2011. However,  11 months  had elapsed, the reconciliation is still incomplete. They have not touch the records of those inactive employees and records of active employees are far from complete. /MP