Why the brouhaha over Duterte honchos visiting ‘lousy’ US?

Imprisoned Sen. Leila De Lima being escorted for a court appearance. INQUIRER FILE

Malacanang continued to seethe and stew over reports – specifics still to be verified – that the United States will ban entry of some Philippine officials involved in the arrest and imprisonment of Sen. Leila de Lima, one of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s most vociferous critics.

In a slap swap, the president banned entry of two US senators – Richard Durbin of Illinois and Patrick Leahy of Vermont – and threatened to impose visa requirements for all visiting Americans – that presumably includes Filipino Americans visiting the old country.

The uproar over the alleged travel ban appeared absurd on so many levels.

It comes just hours after the Philippine’s top diplomat described relations between the US and Philippines as “still perfect”, pointing out that Mr. Duterte’s peeve is with the US legislature, a co-equal but distinct branch of the American government. It’s up to the executive branch to execute the law and there are indications that Pres. Donald Trump is big a fan of Mr. Duterte’s draconian policy against drug trafficking.

Malacanang’s crackle seems to run against Mr. Duterte’s well-known disdain for America – vowing in 2017 to turn down an invitation from the White House.

“There will never be a time that I will go to America during my term, or even thereafter. So what makes that guy think I’ll go to America? I’ve seen America, and it’s lousy,” he declared in response to a Massachusetts congressman who promised to protest if he went to Washington.

Why would the President be incensed that the US Congress is kowtowing to his aversion? Certainly, subalterns should take their cue from their boss, especially those currently occupying positions at the whims and pleasure of Mr. Duterte, and not throw tantrums because they can’t visit the American outlet stores or Disneyworld.

An official list of Filipino officials supposedly banned for US travel has yet to surface.

Oh, yes, there is that issue of sovereignty. “We will not sit idly if they continue to interfere with our processes as a sovereign state,” Philippine presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo declared.

Sadly, the Duterte administration forfeited the sovereignty argument when it acquiesced China’s occupation of Scarborough Shoal and expansion in the Spratly Islands. Its inability or unwillingness to press the country’s territorial claims even after winning an arbitral decision in The Hague undermines the sovereignty defense whenever a bigger, more powerful neighbor decides to take something it likes in the country.

This latest dust-up between longtime allies has also resurrected questions like – why can Americans enter the Philippines without a visa and Filipinos visiting the US can’t? You’re right, silly question. The Philippines grants visa-free entry for up to 30 days to Americans. The Philippine immigration agency reported 792,000 Americans – including Filipino Americans – visited the country in the first nine months of 2019, representing nearly 13 percent of foreign arrivals.

However, there is a more serious concern than a handful of spoiled brass who cannot go on junkets in the US (especially legislators and their relatives), and that is the other provisions in the 2020 Foreign Operations budget that block economic, social and security assistance to the Philippines – about $160 million for next fiscal year.

Over a third of the proposed aid is earmarked for military financing and programs to help former rebels, especially in Mindanao, to be absorbed back in society; over $18 million is for the promotion of human rights and good government; $15 million for environmental conservation; nearly $14 million for economic development; $10 million for education and social services. Why is there no outcry over that?

The restriction on US assistance poses a more serious threat to urgent programs and projects – including the modernization of the Philippine military – than any selective travel ban against Philippine officials. The additional layer of scrutiny demanded by American legislators was imposed because of the same concerns over human rights and the rule of law in the Philippines that just happened to be represented by Ms. De Lima and Rappler’s Maria Ressa. Why hasn’t Malacanang raised hell against these conditions?

It’s not the first time the US has used foreign aid as leverage to convince Manila to mend its ways. Following an unprecedented probe on Capitol Hill against extrajudicial killings of clergymen, activists and journalists in the Philippines, Congress slapped conditions to the grant of military aid during the administration of Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. At the time, the US-educated president seemed more concerned about being seen as losing favor with Washington.

The Pentagon lifted those conditions after Pres. Benigno Aquino III took over.

Mr. Duterte is no stranger to these tactics, telling the outgoing Obama administration in 2016 to “go to hell” and threatening to sever ties with Washington after the US president criticized his bloody anti-drug campaign.

So, there is nothing new to see here folks. Not the indignation and unfortunately, not the misplaced priorities. If we’re going to rant and rave about an imperial America trampling on Philippine sovereignty and meddling in our domestic affairs, let’s do it for the right reasons. Or better still, let these officials stay in the Philippines so they can do some work for a change