Dear Secretary Roque,
I was both amused and intrigued upon reading your recent “Official Statement,” wherein you felt compelled to name me publicly—Anna Malindog-Uy—in connection with a document entitled “Message to the Technical Working Group” that has circulated on social media. What struck me most was the tone of alarm and indignation, as though critical commentary about a document now qualifies as a crime. Goodness! It’s way too defensive. Allow me to clarify a few things:
First, I never mentioned you by name, Madam Secretary. If you now feel personally alluded to or implicated by the commentary, I must ask: Why so defensive? One could say, “When a government official rushes to issue a denial that no one asked for, it often says more than the denial itself.”
In any case, to be clear, my commentary and analysis were directed at the content of the so-called document, not at any individual’s personality, including yours. I analyzed the contents of a said document focusing not on personalities, but on policies. That, apparently, is now scandalous? Seriously? Is that now a crime? Goodness gracious!
Second, the document I critically reviewed, which I obtained from a credible, reliable, and high-ranking source, is the one in question, not you per se. I understand this may come as a surprise, perhaps even a discomforting one, but as a media practitioner (commentator and opinion maker), I am bound to protect my sources, especially those who believe that the Filipino people deserve transparency and accountability in matters that affect the country’s sovereignty and national interest. I suggest we leave the guessing game there.
Third, and most crucially, I never declared the document as gospel truth nor attributed it directly to you. I merely exercised my constitutional right, as a Filipino citizen and as a geopolitical and political-economic analyst, to evaluate the implications of what was presented in that document. I neither incited panic nor spread malicious lies. I simply offered a sober, critical, realistic, and pragmatic analysis, which is my civic duty as a responsible, bona fide citizen of the Republic of the Philippines.
As far as your latest public statement is concerned, I saw a deflection, peppered with accusations of forgery, yet devoid of substantive clarification. That’s unfortunate, more so for the Filipino public. So, instead of ad hominem reactions, I encourage and implore you to focus on more open, transparent, and accountable discourse on matters and issues that are critical to the country’s national interests, such as security, bilateral trade, and trade in general.
Now, Madam Secretary, you assert that you did not issue the document. Fine! That is duly noted. But if the content is indeed “fake,” as you claim, then why not challenge the substance head-on? Why not release a transparent and credible counterstatement detailing the Philippine government’s actual position on the ART Framework and its implications for tariff/trade policy, as well as the extent of United States access to our energy and strategic resources?
Because here’s the truth: denying authorship or the said document is not the same as denying policy intent. Also, if there’s nothing to hide, then there should be everything to explain. Isn’t it?
Madam Secretary, in the name of transparency and accountability, the Filipino people deserve clarity, not deflection. After all, when government policies misfire, it is the ordinary Filipino who pays the price and their future diminished.
Let me also add, with utmost sincerity, that my commentary was written in good faith, and with the nation’s interest at heart. I raised fair caution and critical caveats for the Filipino people, especially as our country enters into sensitive negotiations with the United States on matters of trade, military-defense, and natural resources.
If asserting that our national interest must come before any foreign superpower’s agenda is now a crime, then goodness, where exactly are we headed as a democracy?
Lastly, Madam Secretary, do understand that I have more in my hands than just the one so-called document you disowned as fake, which, I reiterate, is a point well taken. So, before you draw further battle lines, I humbly suggest a more constructive path: transparency, engagement, and accountability. After all, that’s what public service is all about, isn’t it?
To reiterate, my commentary was written in the spirit of good faith, caution, and caveat devoid of agenda and malice; this I want to tell you straightforwardly.
Let us not forget: in the exercise of active citizenship, it is not only my constitutional right, but my civic duty to analyze, critique, and speak freely, especially when matters concerning the national interest are at stake. Because if we are no longer allowed to question or discuss what may compromise our sovereignty and economic well-being, then one must ask—what exactly are we defending in the first place?
So rather than taking a defensive posture, Madam Secretary, I respectfully and humbly urge you to be proactively responsive to the Filipino people, to the principle of transparency, and to the truth. That would not only dignify you and your office, but also earn you the genuine respect and trust of the very public you swore to serve, which I am a part of.
Public service, after all, is not about managing perception; it’s about upholding accountability and transparency and being true to your country and its people.
Sincerely yours,
Anna Malindog-Uy
Filipino Bonafide Citizen
International Relations Specialist & Political-Economic Analyst
Scholar-Academic
Exercising Fundamental Rights, NOT Apologizing for them!
