From: albert@xi.mathlab.sunysb.edu (Jose Ramon Albert)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.filipino
Subject: Clark AB and ...
Date: 11 Oct 92 19:49:03 GMT
Organization: SUNY at Stony Brook, Dept. of Math

As a final post to the discussion on Clark A B ("final"
as I find it senseless and distasteful to flood posts on 
a specific issue), let me elaborate on a point I made in my previous 
post (so that I may illuminate Dan Guerrero on what I meant).

When I mentioned politics as another issue that explains 
the lack (or absence) of an implementation arm in 
cracking down on prostitution near the US bases, I had referred to a
variety of matters -- maybe I can discuss just a few.  

(1) First, you may consider the politics of survival on the part of
politicians, many of whom have been financially supported by some vested
interests.   Consider for instance the fact most RP presidents 
have been given covert "donations" by the CIA during
their presidential campaigns (this practice seem to have stopped
only with the 86 election when the US govt wanted to adopt a
wait and see attitude rather than commit itself to either CA or FM).   
Our politicians have had no political will because most of them are
interested in paying off their debts and think that they can not survive
without the support of Uncle Sam.   

(2) Second, a politician does not wish to implement something 
that is deemed by the public to be unimportant (especially if he is 
interested in getting re-elected).  I did not get to see Mel Lopez, 
ex-mayor of Manila, being praised when he was (at least for a time) cracking
down on some establishments in Mabini (but he got a lot of flak for
not collecting garbage!).   I have the impression we
have had a blind eye on the exploitation in Ermita, Olongapo, 
Angeles (and for that matter in the Middle East, Hongkong, Taiwan, etc.) 
for either of two reasons -- (a) we do not wish to offend foreigners
in any way (this is the love of harmony that i referred to), or (b)  
we have been so used to being exploited 
by foreigners that we no longer have the strength to cry out when
we are in pain.  Either way, we would rather take the lighter side of life
by cracking jokes, singing, laughing.  Of course, on one hand this has
made us survive better throughout our many trials, but undoubtedly,
this attitude has caused some pain as we have made our problems worse.
Whether we like it or not, most Filipinos are not very serious about 
almost anything -- we are more interested in getting by 
(the so-called "puwede na" mentality) rather than in striving 
for excellence.   BTW, there are always exceptions to any rule (but 
the rule is clear, for otherwise the Philippines would not be in
the dismal state it is in today).

One more thing, Dan, it was the RP senate (not the RP itself) w/c voted 
down the treaty.  While I personally am glad about that decision, I would
just like to point out that the majority of the Filipinos seem to 
favor the retention of the bases even up to now.  I get the impression that
there is a substantial block of Filipinos who would have voted for the 
retention of the bases (even if the Americans would not pay rent) -- and
don't tell me that harmony has nothing to do with this.

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Jose Ramon "Toots" Albert                     "ang di lumingon sa 
albert@ams.sunysb.edu                          pinanggalingan, di
Department of Applied Math and Statistics      makararating sa
State University of New York at Stony Brook    patutungohan" 
Stony Brook, NY 11794-3600
(516) 632-2192
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Newsgroups: soc.culture.filipino