The Philippines on 'The Broker'

John Grisham, famous for his novels whose lead characters are lawyers, good and bad ones. No surprise here because he is a lawyer, although I believe that he does not practice such profession anymore. He is probably a better writer than a lawyer. Isn't he cute? Hehe. He looks like Dan Brown (in this picture).

The Philippines was mentioned in John Grisham's novel, The Broker.

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Wow!, was my first reaction. My favorite writer acknowledges the existence of my country!

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But when I read the line again, I realized that his reference to dear Philippines was not at all positive. In the story, a broker in the name of Joel Backman was given full pardon by the outgoing President of the United States on the eleventh hour (hours before leaving the Oval Office).

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One of the broker's former associates turned on the tv for the international news, expecting full coverage of the pardon, at the same time worried to death that Backman would come knocking on his door, a ghost returning to life to take back what is his.

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Upon turning on the television, he was surprised but glad that there were diversions.'Thankfully, a busload of Danish tourists had been kidnapped in the Philippines, otherwise, Joel Backman would have been the top story,' he muttered. Anyway, the Backman story came second.

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This is certainly a reflection of how foreign intellectuals view the Philippines - a haven for terrorists. I don't condemn John Grisham for his views. I did not have raised eyebrows upon reading novels which refer to countries in the Middle East (I'm not naming them) as supportive of terroristic and anti-America activities. The issue of the Philippines is no exception.

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I don't condemn the Philippines, too. I am a Filipino. I only condemn the acts, never the people or my country.

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