EDITORIAL: Time to end China’s intrusions in West Philippine Sea
CHINA WARSHIPS and militia vessels at Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea
The time to put an end to China’s belligerence and bullying where the West Philippine Sea is concerned is long overdue.
This week started with news of the most insulting action yet when the Chinese Coast Guard aimed a military grade laser at a Philippine Coast Guard ship, causing partial blindness to the crew.
This comes close to being an act of war, doesn’t it?
As can be expected, the Department of Foreign Affairs will again call on the Chinese ambassador to explain. Almost certainly a note verbale will be issued. After some diplomatic gibberish from China, the matter will be swept under the rug, forgotten to the point that it will seem that the event never took place.
Until the next assault by China on either the Philippine military or Filipino fishermen, that is.
From where we sit, our beloved motherland is continues to be subjugated by the People’s Republic of China, and there is little that the current administration is doing to end this pathetic state.
Blame for all of China’s aggressive actions towards the Philippines may be pointed at the previous Duterte administration which willingly kowtowed to the country’s powerful neighbor both out of fear and its need for investments, but the Marcos regime also appears bent on doing as little as possible to end China’s intransigence.
Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s policy of being a friend to all and enemy to none is only subject to more abuse from China, which now perceives the incumbent Philippine president as a weakling, just like his predecessor.
Worst of all, China laughs at the Armed Force of the Philippines, whose leaders talk the talk, but do not have the spine to walk the walk.
Quite frankly we are sick and tired of China’s pretense of being friend to the Republic of the Philippines, when it only clearly seeks to enslave our motherland.
And yes, President Bongbong Marcos, we do miss the late President Benigno Aquino lll, the last Philippine chief executive who had the balls as well as the smarts to take action against China.
Noynoy Aquino did not say that the Philippines could never win a war against China as Duterte did. But he did take legal action that resulted in a global victory for the Philippines.
China may still claim ownership of the West Philippine Sea, but the world does not. At least not the civilized world that accepts an international court’s decision stating that the WPS is 100 percent part and parcel of Philippine territory.
We have to wonder why China is so willing to insult the Philippines by mistreating its fishermen, Coast Guard, and Navy, when it can’t do the same to Vietnam.
The answer is simple. Vietnam fights for its rights over its waters.
Now no one in his right mind will say that Vietnam can beat China in a war, yet the Vietnamese still show that they are ready to fight for their territory.
If only Philippine leaders showed the same strength of character as their Vietnamese counterparts, then China would think twice before treating the Philippines like one of its poor provinces.
And if worse comes to worst, the Philippines should turn to its greatest ally, the US, to establish a permanent presence in the WPS. At least they would never do harm to Filipinos in the waters, be they military or civilian.
Whatever it takes, it is time to end China’s intrusions into Philippine territory, specifically the West Philippine Sea.
