The accident compelled the peripatetic JDV to forgo attendance in the meeting of the standing committee of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties in Ankara, Turkey last Nov. 21 and 22.
JDV co-founded ICAPP, a forum of political parties of various ideologies among countries in Asia-Oceania to promote exchanges and cooperation; enhance understanding, and create an environment for sustained peace and shared prosperity in the region.
He is still into forming rainbow coalitions. This time, on the global stage.
JDV and a group of statesmen from Asia, Latin America and South Africa formed the Centrist Asia Pacific Democrats International (CAPDI) which is designed, in his own words, “to primarily bridge the classical gap between orthodox political parties and civil society groups working for peace, reform and development in Asia’s emerging democracies.”
CAPDI, he said in a speech during the 2nd General Assembly in the port city of Makassar in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, “is perhaps the only organization in the Asia Pacific which brings together political parties and civil society under one roof in a common house.”
It used to be that during cabinet meetings, the secretary of foreign affairs sat next to the president, to his right underlining the importance given to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Nowadays, if you look at the videos and photos of cabinet meetings , the one sitting next to the president is Executive Secretary Jojo Ochoa. I’m not sure where Foreign Secretary Romulo sits. In the unspoken language of power, propinquity is an eloquent indication of one’s standing in the exclusive circle.
It is not only in this administration that foreign relations is unappreciated. The decline was evident in the post-Marcos era. The Arroyo administration was notorious in making it the dumpsite of retired military and police and other persons, like former Supreme Court Justice Hilario Davide,whom she owed her continued hold to her unelected presidency.
Ang balita, nai-insecure na raw si House Speaker Prospero Nograles dahil mukhang hindi bilib and kanyang mga padrino sa Malacañang sa kanyang liderato sa Kongreso. Hindi raw niya naitutulak ng husto ang charter change.
Kaya kinaka-ilangan pumunta si Mikey Arroyo, anak na kongresista ni Gloria at Mike Arroyo, kay dating House Speaker Jose de Venecia para hingi-in ang kanyang tulong dahil kulang pa raw sila ng mga 20 na boto.
Ang usap-usapan nga si Mike Arroyo mismo ang kuma-usap kay JDV at ang ipinangako raw ay ibalik siya sa pagka-speaker.
When a friend told me that the release of convicted child rapist Romeo Jalosjos, former Zamboanga del Norte representative, was connected to the Charter change being pushed by Malacañang, I was skeptical about it because Gloria Arroyo’s political adviser has said that Cha-Cha is dead in the water and they are now focused on the 2010 elections.
Until I talked with former JDV (former House Speaker Jose de Venecia) yesterday to verify rumors that he had met with Mike Arroyo, husband of Gloria Arroyo, and that he would be restored to the speakership in exchange for his help to push for charter change.
JDV vehemently denied that he met with Mike Arroyo and that he had made any compromise deal with him.
Update: Mikey Arroyo confirms meeting with JDV on cha-cha but denies asking for his help for more signatures. by VERA Files Malacañang has not given…