LAPSES IN A ROW

The common perception that President Aquino has by far the largest organizational set-up for communications and media affairs among this country's presidents is certainly not without basis.  What with such popular names as Edwin Lacierda, Abigail Valte, Ricky Carandang, Manolo Quezon III, Sonny Coloma -- methinks I still miss some -- collaborating with one another to paint him a good image before the public eyes.   It has therefore become unbelievable that the presidential communications group has so miserably failed to capture the letter sent to the President by the Sultanate of Sulu soon after his inauguration in 2010.   But more incredible, if true,  was that the Sultanate had sent two other letters, one in 2011 and another in 2012 -- the President neither denied nor confirmed this, anyway  -- which have both been ignored.   Now, the speculation is not entirely far-fetched that had not the presidential communication group "slept in the noodle house," if I may borrow a street metaphor, then the ongoing Sabah standoff and the innocent lives it had already claimed would have been reasonably forestalled.

Just recently, another presidential embarrassment came to pass.  I am of course referring to the sudden decline of two presidential appointees to the Commission on Elections, former Justice USec Makabangkit Lanto and election lawyer Bernadette Sardillo, to accept their nomination.  That the presidential appointment screening committee (I don't know who compose them) had not been aware of Lanto's pending case with the Sandigang Bayan and Sardillo being the election lawyer of former Isabela Governor Dy, also newly appointed Commelec Commissioner Grace Padaca's great nemesis, truly  leaves much to be desired.  Alas, I had thought the President had an amply hands-on control of his cabinets.  Not so long ago, the President also received considerable jeers and flak from the public, as well probably as from the international community when it was revealed he had secretly sent Sen. Antonio Trillanes to China to undertake back-door negotiations with China on the Scarborough Shoal standoff.  That the Department of Foreign Affairs had not been in the know on this was simply unforgivable.

Now back to the Sabah rift. .  The President has been lately in the news as entertaining a lingering suspicion that there was a grand conspiracy behind Sultan Kiram suddenly sending  armed supporters to Sabah and reviving the otherwise long-dormant Sabah claim. He kept saying Kiram, in secret cohorts with Nur Misuari,  wanted to  sabotage the ongoing peace talk between the government and the MILF, especially now that it is nearing its climax.  Indeed, that the Tausogs and the MNLF, who were both ignored and sidelined in the negotiation may have had an ax to grind in this regard cannot be totally discounted.  But for the President to charge (again for the nth time) that former President GMA and her  ex-lieutenants in governance, e.g. Norberto Gonzales, Saycon and others,   may be directly behind the conspiracy cannot but continue to reflect President Aquino's one-consuming hatred and continuing  vendetta against GMA and the past administration.  No right-thinking Filipino, unless blinded by revenge would ever venture to even imagine the  involvement of GMA in such conspiracy.  That is simply  incredible and downright laughable!  As a matter of fact, Teddy Boy Locsin had more or less something like this to say in one of his recent Teditorials: "If GMA, so sick and house-arrested in a hospital, strictly forbidden to have a personal computer, with neither a and sans land line nor a mobile phone, is able to mount a conspiracy and a sabotage like this,  then let the people take her back to Malacanang for she is a genius president."

But of course, Justice Sec. Leila de Lima, who has been instructed to investigate Aquino's lingering suspicion may not be totally blamed if in due course she came out confirming that which his boss has in mind.    There, then, should be a new case to file against her --  well, now that several of the cases against her has been gradually dwindling in the courts for lack of merit.  Besides, I think de Lima has learned her lesson: Never disappoint the President, learn to guess what is in his mind and let the result of your investigation conform to it.  Hindi nga ba't napaso na si De Lima in the case of the much ballyhooed Luneta Massacre of Chinese nationals not too long ago?   Aquino then told De Lima to determine who had failed to do what he must and to report her findings in due course, emphasizing heads would surely roll.  O di ba, nang lumabas sa imbesrigasyon ni De Lima that then DILG Asec Puno, the President's  shooting body, were among those who grossly failed in their bounden responsibilities,  and should be sanctioned, Aquino summarily disregarded De Lima's recommendations and simply  let Puno totally off the hook.

Having said the above, I do not certainly mean the President should be as infallible as the Pope.  Certainly not!  All I say is presidential lapses -- all other lapses, for that matter -- need not come in a row.