Choosing Which Side of History by Erick San Juan
The present administration will turn
two years in a couple
of months and there seems to be no real development in sight. So much
for the
corruption-busting but the issues that are very close to the ordinary
Juan dela
Cruz’s stomach were not given much priority despite the propaganda of
DSWD’s CCT program for the poor which make us more beholden to the
IMF-World Bank due to high interest rates that we all have to shoulder
out of these loans just to appease our underprivileged.
The much divided attention of PNoy especially on matters
concerning foreign relations only prove that for almost two years now, the
President has failed to put some of the right people in his cabinet that will help him
run the country. Pundits believe that his leadership also lacks the foresight of things to
come that will possibly put his governance in jeopardy.
One perennial problem that has come to our attention as an
observer of events unfolding in our country is the issue in Mindanao, particularly
our relationship with Malaysia. The government should sit down with Kuala
Lumpur and talk not only about the GRP and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
peace agreement but also the issue of the heirs of Kiram. This age old problem
has created a rift between the Philippines and Malaysia and must be addressed
as soon as possible.
At this point in time, there are so many Kirams claiming as
the real heir and worse of all, there are too many personalities meddling with
the issue which makes it even more complicated.
The mere fact that several Kirams are claiming that they are
the real heir, which one is the true heir and the one that should be given the
just compensation. For so many years now, we are not even sure who's getting subsidy from Kuala Lumpur.
That is why Mr. President, please take this unsolicited
advice seriously, the government should intervene to solve this age old problem by
creating a crisis cluster of able men and women from your loop that will
address the issue at hand with Kuala Lumpur. We just cannot afford if ever, another
enemy in our neighborhood. There is already too much tensions going on in the
South China Sea that adding another problem will put this country in real
trouble.
I
am referring to a possible balkanization if we will apply "noynoying"
policy to this serious subject. This is not a joke, if this matter
will go out of hand it will blow right in front of us and we will not
even
notice what hit us.
The government should take extreme caution in handling this
matter to avoid conflict with Malaysia that might engage into some proxies in
the process. I have read a lot of comments from the different blog-sites and
websites tackling the issue of our Sabah claim. I have been to Sabah many times and I have
seen how the people there are living comfortably and peacefully with no
terrorist threats. They also enjoy the comforts of low cost of living and this
also apply even to foreigners.
Let us face reality this time, Mr. President and stop
daydreaming regarding our Sabah claim. Let us apply extreme diplomacy with
Malaysia and help our Muslim brothers in the south get what they deserve, to
live a better life benefiting from our good neighbor – the Malaysians.
If this diplomatic problem will be solve during your tenure
as president, it would be a great legacy
in your name and all other negative perceptions against you will no longer
matter. God bless you, Mr.
President and may HE grant you wisdom to
lead this country to the right path for the rest of your term.