What the Thais meant

Philippine Inquirer reader Ana Marie Balayon wrote:

THE THAIS’ SKEPTICISM about the medals that Filipinos won in the Southeast Asian Games is but an indicator of how little credibility we have as a people. Rather than vindicate us, the fact that some of the competitions such as swimming, fencing and running cannot be rigged (without the collusion of non-Filipino players) actually serves to highlight this lack of trust in the Filipinos’ ability to act honestly.

For sure, the Thais’ accusation is extremely offensive. It was made worse by the fact that the statement came from a normally mild-mannered people. Moreover, their prime minister defied diplomatic niceties and added his own negative comments.

Our standing in the world community has reached an all-time low.

However, given that Macapagal-Arroyo considers her conversations with “a Comelec official” as a mere “lapse in judgement,” and she is now admonishing us to just “move on,” can we blame the Thais?