It is worthwhile to note that shortly after this designation, the US Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Command Adm. Timothy Keating arrived for a meeting of the Enhanced Security Board with Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief Gen. Victor Ibrado. Was it mere coincidence that the AFP launched a military offensive to capture a major Abu Sayyaf stronghold in Basilan during the visit? The operation, if successful and with minimum casualties, would have been impressive pogi points for Mrs. Arroyo and the AFP. But the fiasco of suffering 22 dead and more wounded, and the unexpected involvement of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the battle, spoiled all plans and attempts to claim a major victory in the counter-terrorist war and affirm the designation as Southeast Asia’s counter-terrorism top honcho.
But why, in the first place, would a lame duck president and her retinue of ass lickers be so thrilled and elated at her being named regional counter-terrorist czar that she couldn’t help splurging on a USD 15-thousand lunch followed by another USD 20-thouand dinner?
In the same vein, why would Mrs. Arroyo want to purchase a new presidential jet worth 1.5 billion pesos less than a year before she steps down from office, the comfort and security of the next Malacañang occupant being the least likely of her concerns.
There is one more than plausible explanation. None of those insatiable creatures, whose craving for pelf and power is matched only by their appetite for exorbitant wining and dining, ever believed that Mrs. Arroyo would be stepping down in 2010. That, more than anything else, is what they felt they had come closer to achieving with the Obama audience. BusinessWorld/Posted by Bulatlat.com
