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| Southeast Asia |
| Guingona fires first salvo against US presence |
| 2002-07-03 |
| A day after he resigned as secretary of Foreign Affairs, Vice President Teofisto Guingona filed his first public salvo against the administrationâs relationship with the United States, criticizing the superpowerâs âBig Brotherâ approach to Philippine problems. A known anti-US activist forced out of his position because of differences over the USâ role in PhiÂlippine affairs, Guingona urged the Philippine Armed Forces (AFP) to strive for competence ânot only for war but also for peace.â The Vice President obliquely confirmed reports that future joint RP-US military exercises could be targeting the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the countryâs largest separatist group. âOur views may differ. Who you consider as terrorists may be the force with whom we are negotiaÂting peace,â he said. Hmmm... Lemme see. They maintain an armed force in an uneasy truce with the gummint, they consort with Abu Sayyaf and other Bad Guys, and periodically they kidnap people and hold them for ransom. So why should we worry about them? Oh, and the Soddies just love them for some reason. It doesn't look like there's much difference between a Filipino "peace activist" and an American "peace activist." They all seem to start from the assumption that the U.S. is wrong and work from there. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |