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************************************************************** Liberal Times Manila A monthly newsletter of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation’s Philippine Office ************************************************************** Dear friends of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, 31/3/2005 The promotion of liberalism stands at the centre of all programs sponsored by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. In our educative efforts, publications play an important role. This said, it is good news that the National Institute for Policy Studies (NIPS) has now come out with a booklet entitled “Liberalism. A primer,” a booklet of 22 pages containing the basic information regarding the various dimensions of liberalism. Skillfully written by Dr. July Teehankee, the primer summarizes numerous discussions among senior exponents of Philippine liberalism and will be formally launched at the Imperial Suites, Quezon City, on Tuesday, April 12 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. If you don’t want to wait that long you may log on to our Website at www.fnf.org.ph and download the booklet as a pdf-file. The public forum organized by the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) and co-sponsored by the liberal Foundation on reforms in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on March 11 attracted a huge crowd and much attention in the media. This success, in my eyes, may be attributed to the urgency of the topic and also the eminence of the speakers. We have documented the papers of former National Security Adviser retired Gen. Jose Almonte and AFP Chief Gen. Efren Abu on our website. Inspired by the debates at the conference, I put to paper some thoughts in a commentary entitled “Democracy, the Military and Corruption”, excerpts of which are attached to this note. You may view the full text at http://www.fnf.org.ph/liberalopinion/2005-03-28-democracy_military_corruption.htm I am happy to inform you about a pleasant addition to the office shared by the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) and the liberal Foundation in Makati City. The Young Liberals and Democrats of Asia (YLDA) which may be termed the youth wing of CALD have set up their secretariat in our premises and chosen a program officer in charge for coordinating activities and liaising with liberal partners and funding organisations. If you want to know more about this continental liberal youth network visit their Website at www.yldasia.org. Speaking of changes at our office, Mrs. Miles Taus who has been with us for a decade and a half will leave the Foundation in early April. During her long years of service, Mrs. Taus has earned both the respect and the friendship of the Foundation’s staff and our many friends and partners. We will certainly miss her and wish her well for the future. At the same time, we are happy to welcome back Ms Minnie Salao who will assume the senior position vacated by Mrs. Taus. Lastly, our partners at the Manila secretariat of the Regional Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism have a job opening for an experienced and dedicated communications officer. If you are interested or know of anyone who might want to become part of this important regional human rights project, please contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thank you and kind regards, (Dr. Ronald Meinardus) ************************************************************* The monthly Liberal Times Manila newsletter informs about activities of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in the Philippines and beyond. This issue has been sent to 1583 individuals and organizations. If you do not wish to receive our messages anymore, please return this note and put “unsubscribe” in the subject. More information on recent FNF-activities is waiting for you at www.fnf.org.ph. ************************************************************** Democracy, the Military and Corruption (Excerpts) Ideally, in a democracy the military is subordinate to the political leadership which enjoys a popular mandate through universal elections. In reality, civil-military relations often have a different quality. When I was a political science student the theory of the "military-industrial complex" was en vogue. Those were the days of the Vietnam War and it was fashionable not only in leftist circles to identify an almost collusive closeness between U.S. policy makers and the weapons' manufacturers and lobbyists. It is no coincidence that similar theories have once more become popular as the sole superpower has waged new costly wars in different parts of the world. In the Third World, civil-military relations tend to have a different quality than in the established democracies of the West. In several countries of the Southern hemisphere, the armed forces evolved from guerrilla groups who fought wars of independence and national liberation. In the eyes of the victorious freedom fighters, this legacy entitles them to a privileged role in the political system and society. The politicization of the military usually poses serious challenges to democratic governance, as this is always based on the primacy of a democratically elected leadership. In this setup, the soldiers are confined to the barracks, their sole duty being the defense of the country against external aggressors. In the Philippines, the reality is rather different. With no plausible military threat looming beyond the borders, the armed forces are more or less exclusively absorbed with counter-insurgency operations, fighting a decades-old communist rebellion and also Muslim separatist groups in Mindanao. The strategic focus, thus, is inward-looking and the perception of the enemy local. While on the surface Philippine democracy may seem stable, civilian rule has been challenged by several military coup attempts after democratic restoration in 1986. …Unlike President Corazon Aquino, who in her six-year term endured no less than seven coup attempts, the military so far has only challenged Mrs. Arroyo once, when in July 2003 a group of soldiers and officers seized an apartment complex in Manila's financial district. After a one-day standoff, the coup attempt ended without a shot being fired. The mutineers accused the government and their superiors of graft and corruption. While the political class rejected the methodology of the mutineers, many showed sympathy for the issues raised by them. Graft and corruption in the military once more hit the headlines after Major General Carlos F. Garcia was accused of accumulating unexplained wealth during his three years stint as financial comptroller of the armed forces. Interestingly, the scandal which broke in August 2004, came to light not as a result of the attentiveness of the Philippine prosecutors but followed an apparently deliberate leak from the US government to local media. According to political observers, the Garcia case may well pose the biggest test for the Arroyo administration. On the one hand, the president has proclaimed she will fight graft and corruption with all available means, at the same time, though, her vigour to dig deep may be curtailed by concerns of a possible violent military backlash if the investigations become too disturbing for powerful vested interests. ... In response to calls for drastic changes in the armed forces, the government is implementing a far reaching "Philippine Defense Reform." A civilian secretary of defense has taken charge and recruited undersecretaries from the business sector to assist in reforming the graft ridden procurement system, the accounting and also auditing systems in the military. Some say change to the better is already visible. At the same time, others say that a truly reformed military may even pose a greater threat to Philippine democracy than the present corrupt institution. "Ironically, a reforming AFP could present a mortal danger to a Philippine state which is unable -- or unwilling -- to reform itself," said Gen. Almonte. Should the state continue to be run by corrupt and incompetent politicians, "then this professional military will -- sooner or later -- be moved by popular demand to take over such a mismanaged society" he added. This veiled threat to civilian rule is symptomatic of widespread disenchantment with the political class in the Philippines. It also reflects a way of thinking that has lost respect for a basic rule of democratic governance -- the supremacy of popularly elected political leadership. © BusinessWorld: March 28, 2005 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The Internet and Democracy Across Asia: MAY 2001 Online Trends in Governance, Civil Society and Media More information at: http://www.e-democracy.org/do Rule: No more than two posts a day per participant. To SUBSCRIBE, send e-mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNSUBSCRIBE, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/do-asia/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
