The political opposition should realize that the Smith case has the potential of, at worst, costing it the May 2007 elections and ensuring the continued dominance of the present administration.


The US government is well known for being supportive of “friendly” (read: fawning) officials of foreign governments regardless of their standing among their own people (e.g., Manuel Noriega of Panama, Saddam Hussein of Iraq and our own Ferdinand Marcos). The US government intervenes financially and logistically to ensure the continuation in office of such leaders (notwithstanding its failure to prevent Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and, perhaps, also Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva of Brazil from winning).

May 2007 is not a presidential election, but the survival of the present administration is at stake in that exercise. I am not suggesting that the Americans will violate Philippine electoral laws, although that is not a farfetched possibility. But they can legally provide more financial and logistical aid to the Philippines, which our incumbent officials can rechannel to other uses, such as helping ensure the victory of administration candidates.