Analysts: Guo case not good for PHL bid for UN council

By Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter

THE ESCAPE of a former town mayor accused of having ties with Chinese criminal syndicates could have dented the Philippines’ bid for a seat in the United Nations Security Council (UN SC), a diplomacy expert said.

“The very important implication [of ex-Bamban Mayor Alice L. Guo’s escape] is [that it reveals how] justice works in the Marcos regime,” Josue Raphael J. Cortez, a lecturer at the School of Diplomacy and Governance of De La Salle-College of St. Benilde, told BusinessWorld in a Facebook Messenger chat at the weekend

“We know that through [President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s] initiative, we are clamoring for a seat in the Security Council,” he added.

The Philippines is seeking a nonpermanent seat in the council for 2027 to 2028.

“In line with this campaign, the government has been undertaking different projects [that] are reflective of the state of the justice system in the country, highlighting its milestones and how it ascertains the rule of law,” he added.

“Guo’s escape, however, and the extent of it, certainly left a dent and became an antithesis on this campaign.”

Ms. Guo, who is under Senate investigation for her alleged links to an illegal offshore gaming operator in the Philippines, escaped the Philippines in July despite a standing arrest warrant from the chamber.

Indonesian authorities deported her on Sept. 4 after her arrest in Jakarta, raising eyebrows about Philippine law enforcer’s ability to track down suspects.

National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) President Ephraim B. Cortez said her escape had left a “big dent” on Philippine law enforcement authorities’ integrity.

He reiterated Mr. Marcos’ pronouncement about the involvement of Immigration authorities in Ms. Guo’s escape.

“Our law enforcement agencies still cannot provide us with a clear narrative on how she left the country, and the chronology of her travel,” Mr. Cortez told BusinessWorld in a Viber message. “The Senate investigation, the National Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Immigration are trying to ferret these out from her,” he added, calling the investigation process “archaic.”

Benilde’s Mr. Cortez said a good strategy to covet a seat in the UN’s most exclusive council is not limited to launching initiatives or creating agencies tailor-fitted for the campaign.

“It would be better to show the world that all the work on their very purposes and mandates, particularly the newly established agencies, because more than opening and launching them, showing how [they] operate to promote peace, justice and security can be a more viable way for us to get the seat we aspire for,” he added.

He noted that the Marcos One of the newly launched offices include the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process geared towards ensuring that peace process strategies of the government will be strengthened. On the other hand, events including the Philippine Drug Policy Summit which was recently held was geared towards showing that the Philippines in addressing issues related to illicit drugs are dealt with in adherence to the rule of law.

Despite this, NUPL’s Mr. Cortez said the chances of the country getting a seat in the council boils down to the effective lobbying process.

“The vote for the seat is more political than anything else,” he said. “It will depend on how the Philippine government effectively lobbies with the permanent members and the members of the General Assembly,” he said.

He noted that the Philippines got a seat in the UN Human Rights council despite its human rights record.

The Security Council has 15 members, five of which are permanent, while 10 serve two-year, nonconsecutive terms. The council is responsible for maintaining international peace and security, according to its website.

In some cases, the council can impose sanctions or authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.

The Philippines last held a seat in the council in 2004-2005.

Benilde’s Mr. Cortez said Ms. Guo’s escape showed how influential people could go above the law.

“Thankfully, the efficiency of our coordination with Indonesian authorities — and how swift Guo and her friends’ deportation process was — is in a way the saving grace of it all because it showed that our government is more than willing to collaborate for the sake of ensuring that law and justice will triumph over anything else,” he said.

Philippine authorities in March raided an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator in Bamban, Pampanga province, allegedly for human trafficking violations and scamming.