Power Relationships

Economics is also known as "Political Economy". Therefore, a lot of "Power Relationships" litter the busy field. Now if one will take a casual look at the current events influencing the "Wealth of Nations", it can easily be pointed out that "Those who have the gold, makes the rules!"- That's economics.


This post is about a "Sexual Harassment" case against Luis Moratinos y Munoz, a Spanish national and Third Secretary & Political Affairs Officer of the European Commission to the Philippines. He also used to work as a professor at the very exclusive Ateneo de Manila University.

In at least three articles at the Philippine Star, Lawyer Dong Puno wrote about a female straight A student "Jessica".

"The facts, as alleged by Jessica, are all too familiar. She is a college student who received a failing grade in the subject handled by Mr. Moratinos. She not only disputed that grade but filed a formal complaint with the department chair. She also asked to talk to her professor to find out what happened. He responded by email and telephone that he wanted to set an appointment in order to discuss how the grade could be "adjusted."

In their conversation, as charged by Jessica, the professor acknowledged that she "did well" in the papers she submitted and that he could "actually change" her grade. However, he added, Jessica had "to do something." When asked what that "something" was, he supposedly replied he could even give her an A if she "had sex" with him and then offered that he would arrange a scholarship for her. Jessica said she refused and hurriedly walked away.

What is the response of Moratinos to these charges? Well, that’s the problem. The University committee evidently gave him 48 hours within which to submit a response, and a hearing was set to afford him an opportunity to explain himself "as part of due process." But instead of replying to the charges, Mr. Moratinos resigned, and ceased to conduct the classes assigned to him. "

In Puno's follow up to the office of the European Commission, he was told that Mr. Moratinos has left the country to attend a training in Brussels and was supposed to have come back last March 12, 2007. Later calls told Atty Puno that Moratinos never came back. Puno was informed that Moratinos has resigned from the EC.

Just this morning, Puno wrote that he has a copy of Mr. Moratinos reply to the case against him. Guess what? the guy is claiming "Diplomatic Immunity". He claims that he is "exempt from the operation of our criminal laws by virtue of the principles of public international law."


TO BE CONTINUED...