Trillanes' mission to China surprises even Enrile

Not even Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile was aware that President Benigno Aquino III had tasked Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV to hold backchannel talks with China, which is currently locked in a territorial dispute with several countries, including the Philippines.   In an interview with reporters on Wednesday, Enrile said he learned of Trillanes’ mission during a Cabinet meeting last July where Trillanes reportedly aired some complaints against the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).   "I just learned about it when I was invited in Malacañang during a Cabinet meeting, when he (Trillanes) was making a report for the Cabinet and he was making complaints against the Department of Foreign Affairs," he said.   "I was surprised to see him there," Enrile admitted.   He said he asked Trillanes, a former military official implicated in several failed coup attempts against the Arroyo administration, who authorized him to hold such talks and the senator reportedly pointed to the President.   Asked if Trillanes asked for any travel authority from him to leave the country, Enrile said he wasn't sure.   "I know that he went to China once but I do not know whether he got any travel authority from me for that purpose. It's required," he said. No need for travel authority   In a separate interview, Trillanes said he does not need travel authority because he did not use his official passport and that he went to China on days when there was no session in Congress.   He also said he kept the assignment a secret because that was the nature of back channeling.   "I wasn't supposed to come out. Natapos ko trabaho ko mid-July, early August, kaso nga sa report ng Inquirer nagsabi daw itong si [DFA] Secretary [Albert] del Rosario na it's doing more harm than good. I just felt slighted na ginawa ako na nga quietly, wala naman ko media mileage nung ginagawa ko ito," Trillanes said.   "Hindi ako umeeksena dito, hindi ako nanggugulo, may binigay sa ‘ting trabaho and ginawa natin," he added.   In a short statement Wednesday, DFA secretary Albert del Rosario maintained that the department “executes the foreign policy that is mandated by our President.”   “We must not be distracted by those who want to divide our country and there must be one policy and one team to promote our national interest," he said. Not helpful   Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, for her part, said backdoor negotiations are not always helpful in solving a particular problem.   "It is always, always essential in international relations that the other side should know who is the person calling the shots. Before you sit down at the table each side should know already who is the ultimate authority," she said.   "Otherwise there is no point to talking and talking and you don't know whether it would be approved by some higher authority who is unnamed," she added.   Santiago also said it's not advisable to reveal in public the problems within the country's own diplomatic team.   "Never show the enemy that you're breaking ranks... always present a united front to the enemy no matter how bitter your differences might be," she said in another ambush interview.   Sen. Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate foreign relations committee, said she has "high confidence and respect" for del Rosario.   "He is doing a difficult job and his efforts are well appreciated, I am sure, by many Filipinos. At the end of the day, there is only one team that addresses issues of foreign policy and that is Team Philippines headed by the President, with the able support of the DFA," she said. — KBK, GMA News