Direction of U.S. Foreign Policy

I fully agree (and I know everybody does) with the observation of Richard Kessler.

Marcos is truly the No. 1 stumbling block to progress in the Philippines. In fact, if there is anybody that the insurgents can call as their principal ally for their fast increase in number and strength, it is Marcos and his regime. Before the imposition of martial law in the Philippines in 1972, there were only a few hundred rebels. Now, there are close to 20,000 armed men and women and tens of thousands of sympathizers.

Most of these poor Filipinos joined the movement for no other reason but to spite Marcos’ regime. They are either relatives and friends of victims of Marcos’ atrocities or just plain hungry and hopeless ignorant peasants who lost hope in the inept, corrupt and repressive high-handed reign of terror.

They do not even have the vaguest idea of what communism is all about. And now Marcos calls them Communists? What a convenient way to escape responsibility!

If there be one potent weapon against the dictatorial rule of Marcos, it is the withholding of military aid to his regime. Marcos will surely fall and collapse once he is denied aid. And this should be resorted to at once if the Philippines is to be saved from being taken over by the extreme left.

Before the imposition of martial law in 1972, the Philippines had only about a $300-million foreign debt. Now, after the lapse of 13 years, she has accumulated no less than a $28-billion debt.

Why and how did this happen? It is because of the unmitigated graft and corruption and overspending in government. Knowledgeable economists claim that even if only 50% of this staggering amount was spent in worthwhile projects in the country, the Philippines would have been very much better off than her neighboring developing nations. But more than three-quarters of same amount was pocketed by the sharks in government and their partners in private business.

JOSE PACIA

Los Angeles