Oliver's twist

THE INITIATIVE of lawyer Oliver Lozano to bring U.S. President Barack Obama and former First Lady Imelda Marcos together to discuss ways by which the billions of dollars in gold and dollar deposits of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos could help ease the worsening global economic crisis is by itself already a laudable out-of-the-box effort. More than an attempt to vindicate the former Philippine president via donating his vast wealth for the benefit of the suffering economies of the world, it is also a noble intent of giving President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo the respect she deserves in the community of nations, particularly that from the first Afro-American president.
For a local daily broadsheet to tag the President of the Philippines as an “Obama stalker” is an insult to the Filipino people, not to Madame Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself. Mrs. Arroyo, in whatever she does and whether we like it or not, carries the weight of representing the Filipino people and our sovereign country, the Philippines. Even against what her detractors may claim that she does not have a mandate, the issue remains to be resolved.
Indeed, while in the eyes of Mrs. Arroyo’s enemies, she stole the presidency twice – from two actors! – no one, not a single one of those accusing her of robbing power had brought the issue to the proper forum to question the issue once and for all.
In this light, Lozano sees Mrs. Arroyo as a true and genuine beneficent mother of her people and, in that vein, accords her the position she deserves as a leader of her people and her country, recognized by the community of nations. Moreover, he gives Mrs. Arroyo her due respect and acknowledges her critical role – if former First Lady has the power to disburse the billions of dollars of Marcos wealth, President Arroyo holds the key to the vault that contains the Marcos wealth. Only the President can lift the sequestration order to this vast wealth deposited in more than 170 accounts in 72 countries worldwide.
More than alleviating the suffering of peoples around the world, through this initiative, Lozano, who’s been dubbed as Mr. Impeachment, bodes well for his country and his people. His initiative is more an attempt to vindicate President Arroyo and save the Filipino people from further shame – that their President is a stalker.
Well, Lozano, in the eyes of the public, may be a lawyer who’s served the Marcoses, and continue to serve their interests, but he also has a heart for the poor and those who are suffering. Perhaps, Lozano, in his own right, is a visionary who comes up with surprises that serve what the French philosopher Rousseau calls as the “common good.” And this is what many people fail to see and realize from what Lozano is doing.