TRIBUNE COMMENTARY: RED FACES
MANILA, NOVEMBER 12, 2010 (TRIBUNE) FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares - From replies of the foreign envoys to the note verbale sent by the Department of Foreign Affairs getting them to clarify their advisories related to a credible terror threat, it certainly looks like DFA, and more specifically, Noynoy Aquino, who had publicly crabbed about not being informed beforehand on this terror threat, should be sporting red faces today.
The foreign envoys, more specifically Australia, pointed out that the Department of National Defense (DND), the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (Nica) were notified by the foreign governments about intelligence reports of a fresh terrorist threat in the Philippines.
And there was Noynoy, publicly complaining that the advisories of a terrorist threat issued by six foreign governments are without any basis, and petulantly insisted that, as the Philippines is an ally of the foreign powers, they should have informed the Aquino government of the terror threat.
But as the foreign envoys pointed out, all the intelligence agencies and the defense and police departments were informed beforehand, which makes Noynoy look like an ignoramus in such security matters.
What this could indicate is that there appears to be some kind of disconnect between the Commander in Chief and his agencies, such as Nica, PNP and the DND, so much so that intel information is either not passed on to Noynoy, or was passed on, but that Noynoy didn't even bother read it or even asked for a briefing.
But since he lashed out at the travel advisories and went on a harangue about foreign envoys not informing him of the terrorist threat beforehand, it is more likely that his officials, whether in the Nica, the DND and the PNP, didn't bother to inform Noynoy, or if they did, this was probably dismissed as just another of those regular travel advisories being sent out by the foreign governments to alert their citizens.
What is more alarming for the nation is that Noynoy apparently is not even briefed on what he should or should not say publicly, which can only explain why he shows public displeasure at the way the foreign governments handled the matter, even when he was clueless about the fact that the Philippine security officials had been informed as early as Nov. 1.
It even came to the point of Noynoy demanding a clarification from these foreign envoys, and the DFA that should have at least checked with security officials whether they had been informed of such terrorist activity and their basis for the issuance of the travel advisory, promptly sent out notes verbale to all these diplomats.
Either way, this is a pretty alarming state of affairs in the nation's government, if Noynoy, President and Commander in Chief, is kept in the dark about such security matters by his security officials, and even of the security officials taking such information of a terror threat much too lightly.
It will be recalled that the PNP, DND and the Armed Forces of the Philippines officials all claimed that their intelligence agencies have not monitored any reports of a terrorist activity, especially in Metro Manila — even when there was already an incident in San Juan City.
It was just the other day that the PNP finally admitted that there has been intel reports on such activity but that the police can repel such activity and that they will keep Manila safe.
But it is terribly embarrassing for a nation to have a president publicly showing his displeasure at the foreign governments for denying the Philippines any intelligence information on these "credible reports" of terrorist activity in the country when all along the Philippines had been informed of such, and of their basis for saying so, through the Philippine security officials.
As a senator pointed out the other day, such matters should be directed by the head of the state to the country's top intelligence and security officials for verification.
"And if there's any clarification, they should deal with the intelligence and security administration of other countries. It's not the President himself (who has to personally deal with this).
"It should be handled by the concerned departments, the intelligence and security forces of each country, not the political leadership such as the President," said Sen. Ed Angara.
Noynoy just keeps botching up things — and this is not the last of it.
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Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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