US leaders understandably want to protect their country’s geo-political interests in the region, and Teodoro certainly appears to have the right qualifications for ensuring this can happen. But Aquino’s recent revelation suggests that he is either angling for US support or already is the preferred candidate of the Obama government.
The supposed Aquino meetings are not the only indication of US influence. For example, some commentators have questioned the timing of the visit last March by the US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, who met with senior security and military officials of the Arroyo regime. There’s speculation that this year’s presidential election was discussed, an idea fuelled by the announcement by US embassy officials following the visit that they would closely monitor the conduct of the 2010 elections.
Interestingly, the visit by US defence officials coincided with the Red Shirts protest in Thailand, another Southeast Asian nation that is a close US ally. According to former US State department official W. Scott Thompson, his country is concerned over recent developments in the Philippines, where talk of a failed election due to voting irregularities and malfunctioning voting machines could trigger a political crisis similar to what is happening in Thailand today. Thompson suggested that the appointment of a new US envoy to the country earlier this year is an indication that the Obama administration is no longer satisfied with the reports received from the embassy over the situation in the Philippines.
The concern over a failed election has been compounded by speculation that Arroyo is hoping to remain in power beyond her current term, a suggestion that has prompted some analysts to warn that if elections next week fail, military adventurists might use the opportunity to seize power and install a military junta with Arroyo as the head of a transitional government. Under normal circumstances such theories would be dismissed as a wild conspiracy. But they were given some credence after a former president, a former national security adviser and a former Speaker of the House suggested such an outcome was possible.
But even if such a turn of events remains speculative, one thing is clear—the credibility of the current election process is already substantially diminished. It’s still possible the elections could be postponed over concerns of failed voting machines and the major parties have said they want the election commission to prepare for manual voting.
So, will the US meddle in Philippine affairs and somehow impose its will on the country’s leaders and parties? Will it continue to support Arroyo or has it already tacitly endorsed a new candidate? And if a coup did take place, would the US launch ‘persuasion flights’ in Philippines airspace to help defeat the rebels, similar to those of the bloody 1989 coup?
The Aquino meetings with US embassy officials, even if they didn’t include an indication of US support, are still symbolic of the power the United States has over the country’s politics and have prompted criticism, including from former head of the Senate chamber Sen. Edgardo Angara.
‘Why are they meeting so close to the elections?’ Angara asked. He advised US officials to refrain from contacting the presidential candidates in this ‘delicate period,’ reportedly telling one newspaper that ‘we don’t want to get the impression that a foreign power is interfering in our internal affairs.’
So far, at least, the signs suggest that the theory that any potential Philippine president needs the blessing of the mighty United States still holds true.
Raymond ‘Mong’ Palatino is a Filipino activist, blogger and parliamentarian.
Visit our Philippines election special at: www.the-diplomat.com/philippines-election-2010
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True American Patriot
I wish Filipinos would stop “embellishing” GMA’s so-called acquaintance with President Clinton… They’re always stretching things… Because they went to Georgetown for 2 years doesn’t mean they knew each other…