April 18, 2006 · Posted in: Governance, In the News

Conservative U.S. think-tank hits Gloria

BARELY two weeks since a scathing New York Times editorial that accused President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of undermining the Philippines’ “hard-won democracy,” a senior policy analyst at the conservative Heritage Foundation hit the President for resorting to “the methods many dictators use to silence criticism.”

In a commentary published in the Fox News website, Dana Robert Dillon, the Heritage Foundation’s senior policy analyst who writes regularly on the Philippines and Southeast Asia, criticized the Arroyo government’s moves to curtail free speech and assembly and suggested that the US Congress and President George W. Bush review American security assistance to ensure that “accountability procedures are followed” and U.S.-supplied military equipment is properly used.

The commentary is one more indication that that the Arroyo government is losing support in Washington, despite its expensive efforts to shore up its standing in the United States by hiring American lobby groups.

Last September, the PCIJ reported that the Arroyo government had signed a $75,000 monthly contract with the Venable LLP law firm to lobby for grants and congressional earmarks for the Philippine military and also for charter change. While the government said it had rescinded the contract with Venable, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita recently admitted that the contract continues.

In addition, the PCIJ reported last year that since the Arroyo government assumed office in 2001, it had spent nearly $4 million in eight loosely monitored and largely secret consultancy contracts with US-based law and lobby firms.

These lobbyists have apparently not been successful in getting the support of US conservatives for the Arroyo government.

Dillon, for one, quoted “a close observer of foreign policy on Capitol Hil” as saying that there has recently been a “growing awareness in Congress about the deterioration of the rule of law in the Philippines.”

“That awareness,” Dillon added, “extends to the White House, where debate continues over whether President Bush should meet with President Arroyo.”

Dillon, who was with the US Army and the Pentagon for 20 years before joining the Heritage Foundation, wrote that Mrs. Arroyo is desperately seeking an audience with the US president “to shore up her shaky political situation at home.”

“We should tell her to get serious about apprehending those who kill journalists and about preventing intimidation of the press,” he said. “If she does, we can discuss a presidential visit. But not before.”

Interestingly, as a conservative analyst writing for the right-wing Fox News, Dillon was as scathing in his criticism of Arroyo as the liberal New York Times was earlier this month. ” In a stunning display of Orwellian ‘doublethink,'” he wrote, “Arroyo wants to convince policymakers that her illegal and unconstitutional suppression of journalists actually serves to preserve the constitution and rule of law.”

Dillon added, “Congress and President Bush must show her that this ‘logic’ doesn’t fly here, and that this goes for all allies in the global war on terror.”

He noted that in 2006, the Bush administration increased military assistance to the Philippines and that by doing so it “continues to prop up the Arroyo regime.”

Read the full text of Dillon’s commentary here.

17 Responses to Conservative U.S. think-tank hits Gloria

Jon Mariano

April 18th, 2006 at 5:14 pm

Aha, there’s another destablizer! Well, can we expect Bunye to say that Mr. Dillon was also influenced by the members of Philippine opposition?

Chabeli

April 18th, 2006 at 11:36 pm

Ooooo, this is sooooo GALING! You go, Mr. Dilon! Finally, next to the NY Times, someone said it so “perfectly!”

tikboyblue, great comment!

Cecile Impens

April 19th, 2006 at 2:16 am

Standing ovation for Dana Robert Dillon statement! Arroyo continues the abuse of our democracy because she thinks that she can menace the Filipino journalists and the human-right groups based in the country. For herself, she is the Democracy, she is the Constitution and she is the Law the Filipinos’ to abide. Let us hope that her abusive practices against our freedom will finally be exposed abroad! Alas, a sweet taste of justice from somewhere, as Philippines justice is contented dancing with Arroyo music! Well, for a while, I hope!

schumey

April 19th, 2006 at 4:34 am

I hope the U.S. Congress and its President do what is right and just. Marcos left because of pressure from the U.S. I just hope they do the same to GMA. With the ever growing pressure from the Filipinos for her to step down, I hope that more countries who believe in democracy and civil liberties will exert their influence to convince this fast-rising dictator to “cut and cut cleanly”

mang_doding

April 19th, 2006 at 7:50 am

Jon Mariano said,

Aha, there’s another destablizer! Well, can we expect Bunye to say that Mr. Dillon was also influenced by the members of Philippine opposition?
====================================================
Hi Jon Mariano, the pandakekok and her minions got a taste of their own (CPR) medicine.

“In a stunning display of Orwellian ‘doublethink,’” he wrote, “Arroyo wants to convince policymakers that her illegal and unconstitutional suppression of journalists actually serves to preserve the constitution and rule of law.”

Dillon added, “Congress and President Bush must show her that this ‘logic’ doesn’t fly here, and that this goes for all allies in the global war on terror.”

johnmarzan

April 19th, 2006 at 4:53 pm

In a stunning display of Orwellian ‘doublethink,’” he wrote, “Arroyo wants to convince policymakers that her illegal and unconstitutional suppression of journalists actually serves to preserve the constitution and rule of law.”

gusto rin yata ng arroyo admin na matulad tayo sa China, meaning… that we also have our own “devil’s bargain”, meaning we sacrifice some of our freedoms (speech, assembly, media) in favor of “economic prosperity”.

but the difference between us and china is that the chinese were coming from somewhere where there was no freedom, and now they’re getting a little bit of it.

Sa atin naman, OTOH, the reverse ang nangyayari. gustong ng arroyo admin na unti-unting bawasan ang freedom of speech at gawing less free ang press natin.

From Rebecca Mackinnon:

There is something else going on, however. There is a new phenomenon of online citizens’ media. China now has an estimated 15 million blogs. What’s important to understand is that many Chinese are willing to accept a fair amount of censorship in exchange for being allowed to do more than was previously possible.

Bloggers get in trouble if they trash their leaders or try to organize a campaign to overthrow government officials. But the conversations are much more wide-ranging, culturally and socially, and much freer than they were 20 years ago. China’s most famous blogger writes … about her sex life. One of China’s recent pop heartthrobs is a schoolteacher who rose to fame because so many Internet users downloaded … an MP3 file he stuck online. The Communist Party is losing control of China’s youth culture, thanks to the Internet.

After one of China’s most famous bloggers, Michael Anti [Zhao Jing], was censored by MSN Spaces at the end of last year, many bloggers said he was a necessary sacrifice so that the majority of Chinese can continue to have an online space to express themselves as they choose. So the point is, compromises are being made at every level of society because nobody has the expectation of political freedom anyway.

INSIDE PCIJ: Stories behind our stories » Amnesty International lauds commutation of death sentences

April 20th, 2006 at 8:07 am

[…] The President’s critics are wary of the motives behind her decision, especially since it comes amid criticisms of the dictatorial measures she has taken to deal with the country’s political crisis. […]

baycas

April 20th, 2006 at 8:42 am

djb, i read your http://philippinecommentary.blogspot.com/2005/10/americas-interests-and-fate-of-gloria.html .

herbert docena has this to say on dana dillon’s essay:

While lamenting the outbreak of political instability triggered by allegations of electoral fraud against Arroyo, Dana Dillon of the Heritage Foundation sees a silver lining. He writes: “The good news is that the scandal has forced both the Philippine Congress and the President to begin the process of reforming the Philippine constitution.”

While Dillon’s July 18 essay entitled “Crisis in the Philippines: What does it mean for the US?” is by no means a conclusive declaration of US policy, it gives a hint of how Washington may be playing its hand in the country’s latest political crisis.

Dillon, Heritage’s resident specialist on the Philippines, does well to implicitly remind us what the three overarching interests of the United States are in the country: First, the US wants to continue deepening the US and the Philippine militaries’ relationships in the so-called “war against terror.” Second, the US wants the Philippines to continue opening up its economy to trade, pay its foreign debt, and ensure a conducive environment for foreign investments. Finally, the US does not want the Philippines to fall into China’s embrace.

While Dillon’s is just one assessment from one well-connected outfit, his views as to the US’ interests in the Philippines are broadly shared in establishment circles in the US. They just differ on what interests they emphasize and on what recommendations they prioritize.

http://www.focusweb.org/main/html/Article654.html

herbert docena is an analyst with Focus on the Global South, a policy research and advocacy group. He is co-author of The Anti-Development State: The Politics of Permanent Crisis in the Philippines (UP Department of Sociology and Focus on the Global South, 2004).

…what future the Philippines awaits after big brother the States decides on our fate?

Toro

April 20th, 2006 at 10:16 am

There will always be critiques written about America’s policies towards the Philippines. How they are viewed depends on personal biases of critics. Docena expressed positive opinion in favor of Washington DC while DJB reacted negatively in disfavor of GMA.

tikboyblue

April 20th, 2006 at 1:10 pm

baycas,

i think the proper question is: what future awaits the Filipinos if Gloria in the Palace continue to stay in power with or without America? would it be a fairy tale or hairy tale?

jojo

April 24th, 2006 at 12:33 pm

toting bunye’s probable reply : “this is a conspiracy between the extreme left and the adventurous right!” :chortle:

lokalokang matino

April 24th, 2006 at 2:12 pm

Dana Robert Dillon it appears is well informed of the happenings in our country

gloria should use her coconut, the earlier she abondone office the better,the heckled she got from the state university graduate MS.PANGILINAN only shows the Filipino people knows too well, she’s an illegal head of state. The protest was characteirzed by sound bytes and banners. gloria should not wait for the silent protest, – ___ _____ ______ .

Ms. Pangilinan’s courage should encourage more women to speak up.
To my mind, women power will unmake gloria. My forecast is ===A WOMAN WILL COME FORWARD AND DELIVER gloria WHERE SHE BELONGS ->->-> CORRECTIONAL. for the many sins she committed against the Filipino people, PLUNDER is Number one, obstructioon of justice, lying, cheating, etc. Is this why she’s certified an urgent bill abolishing death penaly?

Time is temporary on her favor, but soon weight will give way.

Conservative U.S. think-tank hits Gloria

17 Responses to Conservative U.S. think-tank hits Gloria

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