Filipino or foreigner: propagandist for carpetbaggers?

We would like to welcome the “new” columnist of the Inquirer, Peter Wallace. His views are clear and strong. Although he seems to be a foreigner, his expressions suggest that he is a Filipino. If he is not, then he opens himself, as a mere guest, to the charge of meddling in the internal affairs of this country.

His opinions are mainly on the economy. They appear more forceful than those of some Cabinet members, like Finance Cesar Purisima and Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson. His opinions are certainly less emotional than those of columnists Amando Doronila and Rigoberto Tiglao. But Wallace gives the impression he is ready to replace the Neda director general anytime.

Even on political issues, Wallace is apparently more convincing than some of the country’s military bosses, like Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. Wallace criticized the reluctance for years of the Senate to ratify the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement with Australia—and, pronto, the pact was (perhaps coincidentally) approved almost unanimously! Of course, we predict that, with the lessons of history on the Philippines-United States VFA, Wallace and the Senate would be proved wrong.

Sounding like a propagandist for the new breed of carpetbaggers, Wallace endorses urgent Charter change and mining to attract substantial foreign investments that would “defeat poverty.” (Inquirer, 8/9/12). There is no mention whatsoever of the empirical evidence of poverty, which is the “ballooning population.” Of course, Charter change would radically amend or delete the nationalistic economic provisions of the Constitution. Some legislators even claim boldly that it would solve our problem at the Spratlys with China. On mining, it would surely devastate our environment. And Will Durant chronicles that poverty has been with mankind since the dawn of civilization.

In the same issue of the Inquirer that carried Wallace’s column, a contrary opinion—the better view—is presented by Antonio Claparols, president of the ecological society of the Philippines. He advocates that our “natural heritage is not for sale”; and that we should all endeavor to save this dying planet. My own position is sustained in UN debates: We hold this planet earth in trust for our children. We are, therefore, duty-bound not to unduly diminish the worth and beauty of our archipelago as our legacy to the generations of Filipinos still to come.

—NELSON D. LAVIÑA

retired ambassador,

[email protected]