"Blatant Bootlicking" from Philippine President Arroyo

Blatant “Bootlicking” by the Arroyo Administration

On September 9, the same day that James Kelly, US State Department assistant secretary for Asia-Pacific Affairs, told Philippine officials that evacuating Filipinos from Iraq would be a “sound decision,” Philippine Foreign Secretary Blas Ople publicly announced the Arroyo Administration’s compliance with any future war plans by the Bush Administration.
Despite the lack of any official request from the United States, President Arroyo vowed to allow American warplanes and vessels to land, dock, refuel or fly over the Philippines should the US decide to attack the oil-rich nation in the Persian Gulf.
To emphasize the administration’s servility, Ople added, “This is part of the Global fight against terrorism in which we are taking part. We are an ally of the United States. We have a mutual defense treaty with them and there is a UN resolution.”
However, as the administration was brought back down to the reality of the situation, Arroyo quickly changed her tune the next day, saying that the Philippines was “not committed to any war.”
In response, US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone warned the Philippines on September 11 that, “There is no immunity, and there can be no neutrality” in the war on terrorism.
However, there are an estimated 117 Filipinos in Iraq, and over 1.4 million Filipinos in the Middle East region. Arroyo’s blind allegiance to Bush’s war plans threatens the safety of these overseas Filipinos in that an attack would obviously lead to civilian deaths, and Arroyo’s support could lead to retribution against Filipinos living in the region by extremists. That’s why two days after putting her foot in her mouth, Arroyo ordered the immediate evacuation of all 117 Filipinos from Iraq, regardless of whether there would be a war or not.
Arroyo Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye was forced to clarify the administration’s stance on the matter, saying that although the 1987 Constitution specifically renounces war as an instrument of national policy, allowing the US to use Philippine airspace and facilities was consistent with the government’s stand against terrorism.
In reality though, at a celebration commemorating the 11th anniversary of the rejection of the RP-US Bases Agreement by the Senate in 1991, former Senate President Jovito Salonga pointed out the fact that the Constitution explicitly states that the President needs a congressional declaration of the “existence of a state of war” before such assets can be made available.
In the absence of UN approval of a US attack on Iraq, it isn’t likely that the Philippine Congress will approve of a war, but that decision is theirs alone, and not the President’s.
Further, the 1951 RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty often cited by the administration to justify its allegiance to the US only applies to an attack on US or Philippine interests in the Pacific region.
Salonga called Arroyo’s unsolicited unilateral offer to the US “bootlicking,” but noted his pleasure that she had backtracked on her statement.
Five days after the controversial offer, Bunye withdrew it and announced that the country would wait, and even if there was a UN resolution in support of a US attack, the Philippines would limit its participation to “humanitarian” assistance only.
However, the very next day, Arroyo halted the evacuation of Filipinos from Iraq, and publicly extended wholesale “political, security and humanitarian assistance” to the US, even if it unilaterally chooses to attack Iraq.
Following Salonga’s lead, many Philippine legislators are openly criticizing Arroyo’s actions as well, urging patience under the leadership of the UN.
Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo said that the Arroyo regime’s flip-flopping on the Iraq issue proved that it was merely following the Bush Administration’s position. Referring to a recent Asian Wall Street Journal piece which had been critical of Arroyo’s backtracking, Ocampo called her “hypersensitive” to criticism by American big business, and accused her of issuing “public statements which had not been well thought out.”
It is no surprise that both Arroyo and Ople are steadfastly loyal to the Bush administration, as both came into their offices under auspicious circumstances, and will need US support in the next election.
Arroyo, like Bush, had a father who was a former President, and was ushered into office without a democratic mandate from the people. She replaced former President Estrada when the military leadership broke ranks from his scandal-plagued regime.
Ople was appointed to the Department of Foreign Affairs by Arroyo after she forced Teofista Guingona out of that office due to his nationalist stance. Guingona, the current Vice-President, was very vocal about his opposition to the constitutionally-questionable Balikatan excercises and the Mutual Logistics and Support Agreement (MLSA).
Guingona, who along with Salonga was one of the 12 Senators who led the charge to reject the US Base agreement, called the Bush administration’s campaign to oust Saddam Hussein “morally unjustified and unacceptable to the nation’s of the world.”