Pinoy, nakidnap na naman

**20vanda01** · October 29th, 2004 01:20 AM

Agree ako kay sir Yebo.

And to Gloria, hugot na naman 'yan kasi baka makabuo, he he he

**odell** · October 29th, 2004 01:36 AM

pabida naman kasi eh..

**niky** · October 29th, 2004 02:51 AM

Kung volunteer ang tao, then no blame should be put on the government. Whatever fate has dictated for them, they chose their own path.

Although I don't like Gloria any more than anyone else, I don't believe she should be blamed for trying to lend a hand.

**Karding** · October 29th, 2004 05:25 AM

tama na!

magdedemandahan lang ang mga tv networks!!!

:bwahaha:

Pull-out lahat ng OFW sa lahat ng bansa, yehey!!! Ngayon makikita ni GMA kung ano talaga ang epekto ng ginawa nya regarding Angelo.

**konde** · October 29th, 2004 05:36 AM

yan ang resulta ng pag give in ni ate glue sa case ni angelo dela cruz! pinakita na kayang kayang i-blackmail ang pinas!

e di may bago na namang pagpipistahan ang media!

dami na namang taong makikisakay sa issue na to!

**RIKK03** · October 29th, 2004 07:43 AM

Tama ka Konde...NEVER GIVE IN TO A TERRORIST'S DEMAND... lalong magiging bad ang image nang PI kung susuko uli ang PI sa demand..

**silverbx986** · October 29th, 2004 09:08 AM

di lang bad image...nung mag-pull out ang pinoy la iraq ....niloloko kami dito. mga duwag daw pinoy. muntik na kong makipag-away e...kse nakakapikon. so, eto na naman. ano kaya ang demand ng mga terrorist ngayon. mag-give in na naman kaya ang govt?

**pissword** · October 29th, 2004 10:37 AM

by the way ANGELITO naman ang name ngayon

hehe

**theveed** · October 29th, 2004 10:54 AM

Alang ka kwenta kwenta si Gloria... Real Last Hope kuno...

US think tank tags Arroyo as Asia's weakest leader
By MERCEDES TIRA ANDREI
Washington Correspondent

BusinessWorld, page1

WASHINGTON -- Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, almost four months into her presidency, has been bitterly criticized by the Heritage Foundation, a leading voice of conservative Washington with ties to the Bush administration.

"She is an equal opportunity weakling," said the think tank which has ties to the administration and Capitol Hill. Ironically, Heritage was a friendly supporter of Ms. Arroyo and her government in the wake of President Joseph "Erap" Estrada's fall from power four years ago.

The influential think tank's opinion about her and her administration's foreign policy shows her as an appeaser of terrorists and a weak leader, prone to flip-flop decisions that raise concerns whether she can be trusted.

"The longer her administration makes foreign policy for the Philippines, the more it seems that threats from terrorists and regional bullies influence her more than diplomatic and financial aid from Manila's friends and allies," wrote Dana Dillon, senior policy analyst of Heritage, in an editorial October 7th published by the Asian Wall Street Journal.

"On question after question, she has changed policies to put her and her erstwhile allies into weaker positions. At this point, she must be considered the weakest leader in the region.

"Over the last few months, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines has allowed Iraqi terrorists to determine the location, mission and staying power of her nation's military commitments. And she has acceded to China's expansionist plans in the South China Sea. But she has also accepted nearly $100 million a year in military, development and food aid from the United States since the Sept. 11 attacks, at the same time working against American interests on a variety of issues.

"Some ally."

Ms. Arroyo's deal with the Iraqi terrorists was an "irresponsible capitulation" that resulted in more kidnappings and terrorist violence against foreigners in Iraq.

The think tank's characterization of President Arroyo's brand of leadership as weak and irresponsible is "a disappointment", said Philippine Deputy Chief of Mission Evan Garcia in a telephone interview.

He said Heritage's opinion is "not an accurate assessment" of Ms. Arroyo's foreign policy. "No less than President George W. Bush gave credit to the Philippines and its commitment to fight terrorism in his remarks during the first presidential debate" with Democratic challenger Senator John Kerry.

Since the Sept. 11 attacks, the United States has been "particularly attentive to the needs" of the Philippines government, noted Mr. Dillon. "Washington views Manila as a valuable ally on the front lines of the war against terrorism and even has lent logistical and other direct military support to the Philippines in its fight against the Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants."

CAPITULATION

Continuing, Mr. Dillon wrote: "When Iraqi militants kidnapped a Filipino truck driver, Angelo de la Cruz, President Arroyo negotiated with the Iraqi terrorists and struck a deal to have Mr. De la Cruz released in less than three weeks. As a result of the deal, the Philippine government withdrew its troops from Iraq, and Ms. Arroyo claimed a significant political victory.

"This lightning-fast and irresponsible capitulation to terrorists stands in stark contrast to Ms. Arroyo's actions when Americans are held hostage in her own country. In August 2000, Abu Sayyaf Muslim extremists in the southern islands of the Philippines kidnapped a 24-year-old American, Jeffrey Schilling.

"During the nearly nine-month confinement of Mr. Schilling, then Philippine Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes made his government's intentions clear with regard to its policy regarding terrorists. "We do not negotiate," he said at the time. "We will never negotiate with terrorists."

"This policy also held true when American missionaries, Gracia and Martin Burnham, were kidnapped off the Palawan Islands in the Philippines in 2001 and held hostage for more than a year by Abu Sayyaf guerrillas.

"Negotiations with the terrorists were never an option, and it was not until a confrontation between the Philippine military and the Abu Sayyaf that Gracia was freed; Martin lost his life during the rescue.

"However, never doesn't seem to last long in Manila," said Mr. Dillon.

"Iraqi insurgents and terrorists aren't the only bullies who push President Arroyo around. She's an equal-opportunity weakling," he added.

China has also succeeded in bullying her and her administration to make bilateral deals that would appease the regional superpower.

After the Iraq crisis, Ms. Arroyo traveled to Beijing to sign an agreement with China to jointly explore for oil and gas inside the Philippine maritime territorial claims in the South China Sea

"Six countries contest territorial claims in the South China Sea -- sometimes hotly. Among them, China's claims are easily the most immoderate. The Chinese unofficially claim the entire sea from China to Indonesia as territorial waters. In 1995, the Chinese military occupied Mischief Reef and claimed it as historical Chinese territory. The reef, adjacent to the Philippines and well within Manila's 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, or EEZ, is 1,000 miles from China's mainland," noted Heritage.

"Until the Arroyo administration, Manila had been at the heart of efforts by ASEAN to align its member countries in a common stance against Chinese expansion into the South China Sea. In 1999, Manila helped draft an ASEAN proposal for a common code of conduct in the South China Sea. In January 2000, Philippine diplomats showed photographs to the foreign ministers of other Asean countries of the hugely expanding Chinese installations on Mischief Reef, and Asean responded with a call for Chinese restraint and strict observance of international law.

APPEASEMENT POLICY

"President Arroyo would rather appease than confront. Her administration claims its agreement with China does not constitute a surrender of sovereignty over a potentially sensitive area near the Philippines' coast. But don't hold your breath waiting for news that the Philippines will benefit from any joint exploration near China's coast or EEZ. The agreement is not reciprocal," added Heritage.

Based on Manila's foreign policy, perceived to be weak and untrustworthy, the think tank also questions whether the Arroyo government is deserving of plans by the US Congress to increase funding for the Philippines next fiscal year to $130 million.

"And now, the US Congress is considering increasing funding to the Philippines to $130 million next year. For what? More weak-kneed appeasement?," asked Heritage. "We've seen where that gets us -- Ms. Arroyo's surrender to terrorists encouraged a spate of kidnapping in Iraq, eventually forcing Ms. Arroyo to impose a ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to Iraq, and the pact with China almost certainly will embolden Beijing to pressure other Asean capitals to compromise their claims in the South China Sea.

"How about making funding contingent on a little common sense on the part of the Arroyo government? If the US is going to be generous with an ally, why not insist that that government at least not act against American interests and those of the US's other friends in the region?

"How about a mutual agreement: No negotiations with terrorists, no deals with bullies," the think said.

**jolog1** · October 29th, 2004 11:20 AM

Susuko din si Gloria. Ang tunay na dahilan bakit umatras si Gloria dati kasi meron parating na coup. Baka gamitin nila ang galit sa Angelo incident to their advantage.

Ganito din ngayon. May rumor na naman ng coup attempt. Pag pinugot ang ulo nito sa TV, tiyak na maraming magagalit na pinoy. Ma take advantage lang iyan ng mga opposition. Ang first priority ni GMA is to save her presidency. OK naman iyan para sa kin eh... kesa naman si President Soto.... err... FPJ nakaupo sa Malacanang.