It now seems odd that a very unpopular president (Arroyo), during a time when she faces enormous pressure and accusations, has finally been granted an audience with the leader of the free world. What they discussed in particular can only be the subject of speculation, but one can be sure that for Arroyo’s part, it would have been to secure the approval of the most powerful president in the world, effectively ensuring a blessing of her term in exchange for increased cooperation by the Philippine president in the fight against terrorism. How ironic can this be, when the Philippines is ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, and has been summarily scolded for various human rights violations by the UN. In April 2008, the UN Human Rights Council examined the human rights record of the Philippines under its Universal Periodic Review mechanism. Several member states raised the issue of impunity for extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances but the Philippine government rejected recommendations for a followup report.

President Obama needs to brush up on his Asian foreign policy, and on the Philippines in particular. While meeting Arroyo, the US president repeatedly heaped praise on the corrupt Philippine president. Upon hearing the news of Ms. Aquino’s death, an official statement said that Obama was “deeply saddened.” What kind of message does this send to the millions of Filipinos who are looking at Obama to make good on his promise of change that everybody can believe in? It almost seems like double talk.  In meeting President Arroyo, he has made a big mistake. Or perhaps, he is making good on his declaration during his inaugural address: "To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit, and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist,”  even though that fist is being unclenched too late in Arroyo's term.

Article Author: Clarence Yu

Clarence dislikes the word "blog" but has to live with it. He likes to write about music, film and books when he wants to escape the insanity of life (which is very often). Luckily, his writings have found their way into several on-line publications. …

Visit Clarence Yu's author page — Clarence Yu's Blog