The Chinese are
fleeing Vietnam

I am sure most Filipinos agree with President Aquino when he says he is against the granting of immunity, or even state witness privileges to the woman behind it all, Janet Lim Napoles. How can she be made “immune” when hers is the name that comes up in all the reports about the Grand Scam of the century? Granted, that some other people had work out the very ingenuous scheme of creating non-government organizations to be recipients of pork barrel money from both senators and congressmen, she was the one in the center of it all. How can she be immune?

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As for being a state witness, that is impossible, because to be considered as one, the person must be the one who is least guilty of all those accused for a certain crime. Who can prove that she is the least guilty, or who will proclaim her as such? Both the heads of the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan would probably be shocked beyond measure if it is suggested or recommended to them. The only problem, it seems now, is for all those involved in investigating, and later prosecuting this case, to unravel the claims of all the various lists that have been popping up, in what are very clear attempt to be-fog the issue.

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There is a very interesting move that the Philippine government has started. This is the proposal for a single visa scheme that will affect all the ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. If adopted, this will surely encourage travel among the member states, because nowadays, the hassle of acquiring visas is one of the deterrents for travelers, especially tourists. Those who travel for business have no choice and have to apply for visas, no matter how cumbersome the procedure, but ordinary tourists get turned off when they have to go through the usual procedure and the fees entailed.

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As of now, there are some Asian countries that have granted this privilege to Filipinos, but for the others, we have to acquire the required visa. Maybe the proponents are getting ideas from the Schengen visa system in Europe where one who has a visa from one country, say, Germany, can use it to enter others like France, Spain, the Netherlands, and several others, except, if I remember right, some like Italy and Switzerland. I do hope the one proposal catches on. I wonder if it was taken up in the latest ASEAN meeting.

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I truly sympathize with the prominent members of the media who were named in one of the lists on the PDAF affair, who all seem stunned about the notoriety given to them. If there is any clear proof that there is a well-planned effort to confuse the case, this inclusion of media people is it. What is unfair is that they were supposedly among those given “gifts” by an agent of Madame Napoles, but there is no proof whatsoever, that they had received them.

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Among those named were TV personalities Mike Enriquez, Korina Sanchez and Luchi Cruz Valdez who have all denied vehemently having received such gifts, or even knowing personally Madame Napoles to be among the friends in her gift-giving circle. Whoever thought of including them must have an ax to grind with them caused by their own acts or pronouncements as media people. It could be another example of shooting the messengers, you know. And, as some catty gossip writers in the metropolitan media are saying, the alleged gifts of P50,000, would only be “peanuts” to these people.

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Could what is happening in Vietnam also happen in our country? I am referring to the reaction of the Vietnamese to the intrusion of China into their territory, that they expressed by setting fire to several factories owned by Chinese businessmen there. Reports yesterday said that China has ordered the evacuation of its nationals now living in Vietnam, in fear of what the angry citizens could do to them. Already more than 3,000 Chinese residents have been evacuated. I’m sure China does not believe that can happen here, where those with Chinese forbears are so well assimilated that our people would never do such things to them.

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Meanwhile, in town last week for their regular visits to the province were Daily Inquirer columnist Amando Doronila and his wife, Lourdes, who is from Pontevedra. The couple connected with friends and relatives here, as they are again leaving for Australia where they spend about half of each year. Amando, who is the only columnist Inquirer publishes on its front page, had moved to Australia after being released from detention by the Marcos Martial Law administration. There he was immediately taken by The AGE, one of the biggest dailies, as its foreign editor. The Inquirer later recruited him to write a column, which he continues to do even when out of the country. The DAILY STAR is his office when he is in town.*

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