WIKILEAKS: GIBO SAYS GMA A LIABILITY / WIKILEAKS: NOY CAN LEARN A LESSON OR 2
MANILA, SEPTEMBER 10, 2011 (STAR) Pia Lee-Brago- Losing presidential candidate Gilbert Teodoro was grateful that then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo did not focus on his campaign in 2010 and only had a limited role since she represented a "political liability," a US diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks revealed.
A cable sent by former US ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney to Washington in January 2010 detailed the discussion during a one-on-one Jan. 11 breakfast hosted by the ambassador for Teodoro at her residence in Forbes Park, Makati City.
The farewell breakfast with Teodoro took place days before poll results from the Social Weather Stations showed him lagging behind his rivals in December.
The ambassador asked how Teodoro's campaign was going. Teodoro then remarked that Filipinos were excited for the elections and that voters constantly sought to shake his hand and posed for photographs with him.
"Teodoro said President Arroyo had a limited role in his campaign. She was more focused on her own run for the House of Representatives, although she occasionally spoke with his campaign advisors," the cable said.
FROM MANILA STANDARD
Joker on Wikileaks: Aquino can learn a lesson or two by Rey T. Salita
PAYING too much attention to Wikileaks is a show of the government's inferiority complex, Senator Joker Arroyo said on Thursday.
Arroyo commented on attempts of Malacanang to downplay the negative remarks of former US Ambassador Kristie Kenney that the President Aquino was "diffident" and "unassertive."
"The bottom line here, (the comments are) fairly reflective of their (United States) regard (for) the Philippines," Arroyo said and advised Malacanang to "forget it (but) learn its lesson."
Arroyo said Kenney's remarks as revealed by the secret cables showed "how the US government thinks and how it backfights."
"Henceforth, Philippine officials will now be wary in attending to US embassy invitations," Arroyo said as the country now knows the efficiency of the US embassy in its reportorial and documentations to Washington.
He said government officials attending diplomatic functions and socials were 'brain picked' during the events which Filipinos in high society regard as fashionable and glamour events and let loose their tongues without thinking of consequences. "They wouldn't know whether they are talking to the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency of the US)."
Arroyo also downplayed the credence of Kenney and her personal opinions about the Philippines as the ambassador was inexperienced in the region.
"I think she came from Equador before she got posted here," the senator said. "And that's the kind of US ambassadors we get."
He said gone were the days when Washington deploys diplomatic experts in the country and again showed how the US regards the Philippines.
"Before we had heavyweights like ambassador (Paul) Mcnutt, ,(Michael) Armacost, (John) Negroponte who have track record and contributed as much in diplomacy."
Armacost was the ambassador during the last remaining years of the Marcos dictatorship and after leaving his Philippine post, was promoted to the US Intelligence department. Negroponte became the US ambassador to post-war Iraq.
----------------------------------------------------------
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
----------------------------------------------------------
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/phnotweet
This is the PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE (PHNO) Mailing List.
To stop receiving our news items, please send a blank e-mail addressed to: phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Please visit our homepage at: http://www.newsflash.org/
(c) Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------
