Peace deal reminds me of jazz & gamelan
By Raïssa Robles
A security analyst in the Philippine military told me last year they were worried over two things in the face of the worsening conflict between Beijing and Manila over the South China Sea. These were:
ONE – Chinese control of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) that interconnects the power companies to consumers in Luzon and Visayas islands; and
TWO – Chinese control of the biggest inter-island shipping company, the Super Ferry group, which used to be owned by the Aboitiz family but which has since been sold to the China-Asean Investment Cooperation Fund. This Fund is a private equity company set up in the Netherlands by the Chinese government to buy private companies in Southeast Asia.
JUST IN:
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs has just sent this compilation of reports on the South China Sea conflict that have been published in various foreign outlets. Those from Chinese media are understandably absent:
If plans of privately-owned ZTE Corporation of China had pushed through, the entire Philippine government telecommunications network would also have been another cause for worry for the Philippine government.
But I could not write the story because there was no one I could quote by name on such a sensitive issue. Finally, yesterday I was able to write the story because Rafael Alunan publicly came out about it.
Separately, I was able to verify Alunan’s statements by talking to a senior government source.
Here is a portion of my story which was published in today’s edition of South China Morning Post:
Philippine national grid denies claims China could shut off power
Wednesday, 26 March, 2014, 3:15am
News›Asia
PHILIPPINES
Raissa Robles in ManilaFirm rejects claim that Beijing could use Chinese shareholder to pull plug over maritime disputes
The Philippines’ national electricity supplier has dismissed claims by a former senior official that China has the capability to sabotage the country’s power grid.
Rafael Alunan, a former interior and local government secretary, warned such action was among a range of actions China could take in retaliation for Manila’s move to seek international arbitration of its maritime territorial disputes with Beijing.
Alunan said a government official had told him of the possible threat.
The National Grid Corporation (NGCP) provides the infrastructure for power companies to provide electricity to their customers. State Grid Corporation of China owns 40 per cent of the corporation.
Corporation spokeswoman Cynthia Alabanza denied the network was at risk of being shut down.
“The State Grid Corporation of China does not have control. It does not in any way influence anything beyond the technological aspect of the business,” she said.
But Alunan repeated his claims yesterday.
“Right now, according to my source, we are potentially vulnerable to remotely controlled sabotage. When, depends on China’s calculus,” he said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs declined to comment.
Charles Jose, its new spokesman and former consul general in Shanghai, said: “The Department of Energy is in the best position to explain or comment on the participation of the State Grid of China in the power transmission business in the Philippines.”
But a senior government official told the South China Morning Post the government was “quite concerned” about a Chinese state-owned company controlling the technical aspects of the national grid.
Four senior officials of the State Grid of China sit on the NGCP board.
Alunan declined to identify the senior government official with whom he discussed possible sanctions that Beijing might impose on Manila.
Alunan, a co-convenor of the West Philippine Sea Coalition that has staged protests and boycotts against China over the South China Sea dispute, said the first sanction could be “stopping the flow of raw materials needed by our manufacturers and exporters”.
To read the rest of the story, please click on this link.
Unfortunately, my story got cut due to space constraints. Here is what was cut:
Boo Chanco, Philippine Star newspaper business columnist and a former energy department executive, told The Post:”what we need is an independent analysis of the risks we now carry with the Chinese control of the grid.”
Chanco noted that two years ago, Interior and Local Governments Secretary Mar Roxas disclosed in a news conference that he had transmitted a message to China’s foreign affairs vice minister Fu Ying that Manila was “not comfortable” with having the Chinese in charge of the national grid. Roxas had cited security issues and called on China to abide by the contract to transfer technology and control to Filipino engineers.
The State Grid of China was part of a consortium that was awarded in 2009 the franchise to operate the national grid for 25 years by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
* * *
The Muslim rebel deal, which is about to be signed tomorrow, reminds me of jazz & gamelan.
It is a deal signed with the blood of generations who fought and died for freedom. It is a mixture of realpolitik and of hopeful change.
Like jazz, the deal will still need much improvisation and multiple voices in order to work.
I know that members and leaders of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) are very sad that the deal will replace the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) that they fought so hard and long to put in place. But I also know that many of them, deep in their hearts, want this deal to succeed for as long as they, too, are able to play a meaningful role in its success.
In commemoration of this historic day I would like to share with you all a video I took of one of the musical numbers in “Himigsikan”, a free open air concert at the University of the Philippines by the Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts (OICA). The featured musicians that day were the Ka-Fu (Katutubo Fusion) with Kontra-GaPi.
This particular piece reminded me of the numerous starts and stops, the frequent reversals and progressions in the 18-year peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Has it been THAT long? It’s not over yet. Not by a mile.
Oh, just an addendum. The quickest way to mess this up is to drop the Sabah claim because most of the Tausug are related by blood and marriage to the original claimants. They will conclude their blood rights had been sold out. And they will fight no matter what the odds are.
DannyG says
Isang nagdudumilat na masamang halimbawa ang lumabas na isyung ito na kung saan ay may malaking kontrol ang China sa ating NGCP na siyang nagkokonekta sa mga power companies sa Luzon at Visaya. Gayundin ang pagmamay-ari sa malaking kumpanya ng barko sa ating bansa- ang Super Ferry Group. Maliwanag, kapag may sapat kang pera, repeat, salapi, kaya mong bilhin ang mga pag-aaring propredad sa Pilipinas. Ngayon, ano itong nilulutong Cha-cha ng Kongreso na pwedeng 100% magmay-ari o mamuhunan na ang mga dayuhan sa bansa. Hindi ba sila nababagabag na dumating ang panahon na ang mga dayuhan na lamang ang naglilinang ng ating likas na yaman at nagmamay-ari ng lupain sa ating bayan? Puro mga bopol, traydor at collaborators na ba ang marami sa ating mga opisyales sa pamahalaan upang ito ay magkaroon ng kaganapan? Maliwanag, kung sino ang may kontrol ng ekonomiya o kabuhayan, siya ang may kontrol ng pulitika o pamahalaan! Hindi ba ang mga ito na makaisip ng programang makabayan at makamamayan na siyang tunay na magpapaunlad sa Pilipinas tulad ng mga katabi nating bansa at hindi itong para tayong mendicant at parasite sa mga dayuhan?
DannyG says
So, after na mapirmahan ang Muslim Rebel Deal sa pagitang ng gobyernong Pilipinas at Rebeldeng Muslim, ano na ang magyayare sa ating pakikipaglaban upang mapasaatin naman ang lupain ng Sabah . Kakalimutan na lamang ba dahil sa ang major player na kumilos upang maipagsatagumpay ang pag-apruba ng naturang kasunduan ay ang Malaysian government na siya naman ang may kontrol sa Sabah ? Ang galing naman ng gimik, guguluhin ang Mindanao, pagkatapos tutulong kuno para sa kapayapaan at – goodbye Sabah isyu? Masyado naman optimistic ang ilan na magtatagumpay ang naturang kasunduan kahit iisang grupo lamang ng mga rebelde ang kausap dito. Ibig bang sabihin, ang gobyernong Malaysia lamang pala ang solusyon sa matagal nang gulo sa Mindanao ? Paano na ang MNLF, ang BILF, ang NPA, ang mga maapektuhang Mamamayang Kristyano at ilang pang seccesionist /disgruntled Muslim groups? Naareglo na rin ba sila? Tandaan na malalim ang kadahilanan ng Mindanao isyu at isang komprehensibong solusyong makatao, makabayan at makatarungan ang naghihintay para dito.
Martial Bonifacio says
Modern day Makapili
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/03/30/14/dnd-plan-buy-2-anti-submarine-helicopters-hit
I don’t want to sound alarmist but i wonder if Rep.Albano and Pamalakaya rep. even reads news. The threat is already in our backyard with guns and ships pointed at us, they already attacked our fishermen and yet these solons can still think that they + we are safe? Which leaves me to believe that they are delusional or got paid to slowdown, restrict the AFP modernization, one thing is for sure we have modern day makapili in our legislature that needs to be removed from congress.
Note: Also salamat sa mga journalist na naglayag kahapon upang imulat at ilahad ang tunay na nangyayari sa Ayungin Shoal Mabuhay po kayong lahat. Maraming salamat po.
Napatunay natin na hindi pa gaanong effective yung cabbage tactic ng naCHI, sana naman maipasa na bukas yung “memorial” sa ITLOS at huwag na tayong maniwala sa Carrot on a stick trick ng naCHI to delay it.
Remember nauto ang gobyerno natin nung hindi nila inatras ang barko nila sa Scarborough. May kasabihan nga diba na fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on us.
Kalahari says
Cory’s activists-pressured 1987 constitution blocks the return of US bases and created the party-list representation – now consists mostly of maoist representatives funding the activities of the communists. Should there be a cha-cha for amendment of economic policies, the party-list sectors should be abolished for reason of national security.
The government is spending billions of taxpayers’ money for our hard-core enemies – and friends of the chinese bullies.
Kamison says
Blowback US amd EU sanctions on Russia are Indirect SANCTIONS on the European Countries too. (‘… because the EU imports more than one-third of its gas and fuel from Russia.‘)
Read http://www.4thmedia.org/2014/03/28/us-sanctions-on-russia-are-indirect-sanctions-on-the-eu/
—
Russia To Create Own National Payment System In “Bid To Reduce Dependence On The West” http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-03-27/russia-create-own-national-payment-system-bid-reduce-dependence-west
Kamison says
Exposé, Turkey gov’t wants to attack Syria too.
“An audio recording leaked on YouTube appears to reveal that top Turkey officials were plotting to fake an attack against their own country as an excuse to wage war on Turkey.
“Turkey on Thursday blocked access to YouTube in the same week it banned Twitter after someone posted the audio recording.”
Source: Turkey blocks YouTube after audio recording leaked, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/03/27/turkey-blocks-youtube/6958649/
– Turkey strengthens Twitter ban, institutes IP level block, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/03/22/turkey-strengthens-twitter-ban-institutes-ip-level-block/
– Turkey shuts off YouTube after ‘Syria invasion plan’ leak, http://rt.com/news/turkey-block-youtube-twitter-649/
Video Report
CONFIRMED: NATO’s Plans for False Flag Attack on Turkey Revealed
News Article
CONFIRMED: NATO’s Plans for False Flag Attack on Turkey Revealed
emong says
Lahat ng problema na ito matutulduka kung yung Judiciary natin eh mabilis mag decision kapag high profile cases . Yung mga tipong may national importance…. Wala eh,, so far,,, wheelchair pa lang kulungan nila imbes na rehas na bakal… Mukhang bibili na rin ng wheelchair si Napoles…. Magkano ba ang bayad sa inyo dear Judge….lalo na sa Makati trial court.. naku,, puro pabor sa mga corrupt ang decision diyan.. pati na rin sa Court of Appeals…. nakow… na Binay ata…
Kalahari says
Emong, the high profile cases against the 3 senatongs were filed on 8/16/13 and the ombudsman, owing to voluminous documents, said it might take her office one year to file the same to the ombudsman to ensure their conviction. Lately morales said it might be sooner than expected.
Be patient – in due time, the ist batch will all be hauled to their new abode once the sandiganbayan issue the warrants of arrest. By that time, frail health and healthy bodies will petition the court for hospital arrest – and many will go to st Luke’s & the like depending on their antics
moonie says
pork scammer bong revilla is panicking yata, he and family are off to holy land to celebrate holy week and while there, ask intercession from god to deliver him from pork charges as he is apparently innocent. bet he will be using porkmoney to fund his family’s travel, their stay in 1st class hotels, buying souvenirs and gifts. bong might even hop into turkey to see sibling ramona who is accused of killing brother ram.
ill-gotten money would not make for happy life. gloria arroyo has health problems, her condition exaggerated by her croonies. napoles is having health problems and also exaggerated her condition. paiyak-iyak pa. hindi naman life-threatening ang fibromyoma niya. if napoles goes under invasive surgery for removal of myoma, there is no guarantee she will not get anymore myomas. she can still get new growth maybe on the same spot where the myoma that was removed used to be, or somewhere near it. it’s her body’s call. and stressed as it is, god knows what else her body can come up with.
then, napoles could end with more surgeries. gloria arroyo had 2 remedial surgeries done to correct the 1st surgery done to her upper spine. if napoles wants peace of mind, body and spirit, she can tell the truth and put all lies behind her. her body will be less stressed and less prone to diseases.