IF YOU HAVEN’T noticed, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has been busy these past few weeks posing with captured criminals or checking out crime scenes, all, obviously, part of an anti-crime campaign that is supposed to make her look tough and delivering results to a Philippine population fed up with robberies, kidnappings and an explosion of drug addiction.

I was complaining to a colleague this week that GMA was popping up in the most unlikely places: looking at a kidnapper shot dead in a car; leafing through counterfeit peso bills with childish glee, and presenting corrupt policemen to the media. We both agreed that she was overdoing it and would soon trip up in some way. Sure enough, minutes later the story of how she mistakenly paraded a Land Bank of the Philippines whistle-blower last Friday in front of the press as a “criminal”, rather than as one of the good guys, was on the news wires.

The whistle blower in question, Acsa Ramirez, is a cashier at LandBank. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is probing the alleged diversion of 203 million pesos ($3.98 million) in tax payments to private bank accounts at that bank. Since Ramirez was one of the people who tipped off the NBI to the scam, she was invited to the NBI to be questioned. President Arroyo also happened to drop by the NBI that day at the same time, and Ramirez was ordered to stand up next to the president, which she willingly did, thinking she was going to be commended. Instead, with TV cameras whirling, the TV reporter said Ramirez had been in connivance with the disappearance of the money. With those simple few words, the reputation of Ramirez was immediately stained as her picture was flashed onto millions of TV screens nationwide.

A sobbing Ramirez has now asked for an official apology from the government. She has already been apologized to in private, but Ramirez insists that a public apology and clarification be made so that some of the initial damage done to her reputation can be undone. Unfortunately for her, it doesn’t seem like any is coming any time soon.

On Wednesday, GMA’s spokesman Ignacio Bunye insisted that the president would not apologize as Ramirez was still under investigation, even though she had not been charged with any crime and was not even a “suspect.” Even Justice Secretary Hernando Perez maintained that no apology was in order because Ramirez was under investigation for possible violations of the anti-money laundering law. So let’s see now, she was a not a suspect in terms of stealing the money, but was still “suspect” for the way she had possibly mishandled the transactions. But doesn’t the fact that she willingly came forward with her information, and that she was cooperating with the investigation, count for anything?

Apparently not in GMA’s world of getting tough on crime. “Delicadeza,” along with any sense of decency, seem to have been thrown out the window by the president and her handlers, who seem to think any amount of rude behavior on the part of the chief executive as being acceptable in the war on crime.

The president would do better to get better advisers, and make sure not to rush to conclusions when TV cameras are aimed at her in public appearances. Already, GMA has been burned when she mistakenly announced on July 26 in Saranggani that notorious Pentagon gang leader Faizal Marohombsar had surrendered. This turned out to be untrue, and government officials had to apologize to the press later, explaining that a mix-up had occurred.

Suspects have the right to privacy, especially when one is also a whistle-blower trying to help the authorities. Where has the presumption of innocence until proven guilty gone? In this age of instant gratification and news, suspects become convicted criminals in the few seconds it takes to film them with the president at the NBI. That is why GMA should jealously guard her own public image and not allow it to be misused by a medium that is always hungry for scandal and not really interested in the nuances of life. The president could easily issue a short apology at one of her many public appearances in front of TV cameras. It would go a long way to repairing the damage done to Ramirez and her family’s reputation. It would also be the fair thing to do.

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The mistreatment of Filipino ‘illegals’

THE CURRENT crackdown on illegal immigrants in Malaysia has sent a wave of Filipino “illegals” back to the Philippines, with many claiming abuse at the hands of Malaysian authorities. Some have claimed that dogs were used to flush them out of hiding places; others said Malaysian police destroyed their decades-old homes just because they had been peacefully living in Malaysia for years without the proper residency documents.

While the mistreatment of illegal immigrants is always alarming and upsetting, Malaysia has gone even further by announcing it will flog them once the current amnesty period is over. This explains the flood of Filipinos coming back to the Philippines.

Because of its geographical location and oil wealth, Malaysia has been a magnet for illegal workers from the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand. Indeed, illegal manpower has helped build much of Malaysia since many of these workers have been employed in the construction industry.

Malaysia should take all of this into account when cracking down on illegal immigrants. It shouldn’t forget all the good things these workers have done for Malaysia, and should even give residency papers to many of these workers. Flogging them is cruel and unusual punishment that should be loudly protested by the rest of the world.

The Philippine government should remind Malaysia of the historic friendly ties between the two countries, and urge restraint and humanness when dealing with illegal workers. Unlike the US, which recently sent home a planeload of illegal Filipinos in handcuffs, Malaysia can and should do better.

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Columnist admits being wrong

ONE GOOD result of my column last week (“How Rep. Escudero was misrepresented on the Net,” Aug. 1) criticizing an OFW advocacy group and a newspaper columnist for wrongly accusing Rep. Francis Escudero of being against the pending absentee voting bill, is that the columnist last Sunday wrote a column admitting he had been wrong.

Rene Q. Bas wrote in the Manila Times, “It makes me happy to be proved wrong,” in his column “Two cheers for Rep. Escudero!” (To read the article go to http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2002/aug/04/opinion/20020804opi3.html).

Perhaps President Arroyo could take a leaf of humility from Bas’ example and apologize to Ramirez in public in front of TV cameras. There is nothing wrong in admitting a wrong; in fact doing so is a sign of strength, not of weakness. Come on Gloria you can say it!

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Manila Moods will be on leave for two weeks. The next column will appear on Aug. 30.

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Comments or questions? Email the author at: [email protected] or [email protected]

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Visit the author’s website at http://www.manilamoods.com to read past columns.