I was really shocked to find out about how Malacanang “stole” former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair from the organizers of the Leadership Conference and SMART Infinity Dinner events – both of which were the main reasons why he was in the Philippines in the first place. In his column in the Philippine Daily Star dated March 27, Cito Beltran details how certain elements in the Palace literally sabotaged these two events.
“It turned out that when Malacanang was informed of the Tony Blair visit, some opportunistic elements inside the Palace decided to go beyond the traditional courtesy call or private lunch or dinner for the visiting dignitary or VIP. Instead they launched a full-blown event ahead of all the scheduled events, where they invited local VIPs, business leaders as well as the entire contingent involved in the soon to be revived peace negotiations with Muslim rebels.
The predatory and opportunistic behavior of people in Malacanang was de facto sabotage of the 2nd Leadership Conference and the SMART Infinity Dinner because a number of the business leaders personally invited by Manny Pangilinan chose to decline the invitation since they would be dining with Tony Blair ahead of all the paying guests to both the 2nd Leadership Conference as well as the SMART Infinity Dinner.”
Beltran goes on and explains that there was no sponsorship or financial help extended by any Government agency with regards to Blair’s visit in Manila. In fact the organizers, Campaigns and Gray, did everything themselves including booking Blair through the Washington Speakers Bureau.
On top of the sabotage, the Palace also evidently caused discomfort to Blair by keeping him in the “dignitary” events, refusing to let him go back to the hotel to rest before he would go on to the Leadership Conference and the SMART Infinity Dinner.
Thumbs up for the organizers, thumbs down for the Palace
According to Beltran, Manny P. and the organizers invested more than $275,000 to get Blair to visit the Philippines for their events (2 hours and 45 minutes total). I doubt it if the organizers were able to fully recover their investment because of the actions of the government. Next time a company invites an international leader over, they should have scenarios and safeguards against possible Malacanang initiatives that would screw up their over-all business plan. This begs the question if Blair was actually aware of the offer of him helping as a consultant for the peace process before he even came to the Philippines. Can he actually refuse in public? I’d have to say he was cornered into saying “yes”.
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Carlo,
Blair, a strong leader of a person cornered into saying “yes” against his will, I think, is a bit a stretch.
Why would the Palace “steal” if it can “buy”?
Blair was hijacked. Like those Somali Pirates hijacked tankers…
Hi Bert! The stealing refers more to what they did with the event and not the “yes” they got out of him to be a consultant. That’s a side issue for me. The main point is how the Palace blatantly disregarded the original purpose and events for Blair’s visit. Sorry if malabo. I’m sure that if they eventually do sign him on, he’ll get paid a hefty sum.
to Wauks: Predatory? Sabotage?
I can see what the matter is for Beltran. That their investment for Blair’s visit had suffered. Boooo-hooooo.
No, just hijacking of Blair…
There are two conflicting articles from the pekeng-peryodikos and pekeng-peryodistas and in this blog.
In the first article about Blair in this blog, probably in the media because I don’t read them anyways, that Blair was coming with Kobe to talk ICRC kidnapping release.
And now in this article, it seems Blair is not chaperoned by Kobe. That he came for a different event. So the first article was eggrigiously opportunistically trash.
Since, Blair allowed himself to be hijacked by opportunistic GMA. BOTH ARE IDIOTS! RIGHT? OR THE WRITER OF THE ARTICLE IS IDIOT! OR MAYBE THEY DON’T KNOW THE INNER WORKINGS OF PROTOCOL, AS USUAL, RIGHT?
Let’s wait for tomorrow’s article … there will be another twist ala Nicole V. Smith
haaaaaay, naku!!!!!! GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT WILL YA! YOU ARE PROUD INTELLIGENT 4TH ESTATE. I JUST WONDER how the rest of the Filipinos intelligence are measuring up!!
Pekeng Bloggers are hired by politicians to advocate their
agendas…
They are good on stealing elections. Why be surprised when they
steal Blair ?
It’s the word of the author not GMA’s intent. I just wonder if the author knows the inner workings of diplomatic protocol. I doubt it. Since peryodistas are mostly wrong most of the time, I take “steal” an empty hyperbole.
Blair must be laughing at the author. I hope Blair is ONLY laughing at them what if his laughing because the author is a reflection of Filipino mentality.
TIP FOR THE POST: Do you know that 1/4 of 90,000,000 filipinos are below 18 years of age.
Hi Carlo,
If you care, to:
On the 24th, I wrote here:
http://midfield.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/malacanang-spinning-tony-blair/
Had also reposted that:
http://filipinovoices.com/of-diplomacy-and-peace-making
I would think the boys in the Palace would be more original in devising ‘legacy’ initiatives for GMA. What do you think, Carlo?
GMA will want to “Peace In Mindanao” as her legacy, but the Filipino people will not let it happen. The fastest way to peace-in-Mindanao will be BJE/Ancestral domain. The second fastest way is ala Sri Lanka’s determined military thrusts into Tamil Tiger territory.
I will only believe in Tony Blair (or Bliar?)if he makes this formal statement:
“I apologize for the reckless and unwarranted invasion of a sovereign state without United Nations’ mandate.Never again will I believe myself to be above international law.”
United Nations is ineffectively inutile.
Your Jessie Jackson goes releasing kidnapped victims without the sanction of your soveriegn American government.
Is Jessie Jackson above the law?