We should stop acting like gullible clowns or errand boys for US imperialism in this part of the world
Instead of the Philippines removing the floating barriers installed by China’s coast guard, the Manila government should have requested the US to personally remove them.
This is normal and just.
First, it was the US that repeatedly insisted our country to align with them in their fight to isolate China in the region. According to US president Biden, the alliance between the two countries is “ironclad.”
Second, aligning with the US is to defend American interest in the South China Sea, which incidentally, will serve to reinforce its hegemonistic position consistent with Obama’s policy called “pivot to Asia.”
This means the threat from China could entice he Philippines to align closer to the US and prevent China from becoming the dominant power in Asia, and for which the US often acts arbitrarily to enforce the conduct of its relations with other sovereign states in the region.
Third, our reinforced ties with Taiwan was done at the instigation of the US, carried out gradually first by introducing the Visiting Forces Agreement leading to the revival of the US military bases in the country and countries in the region.
Fourth, the success of the US in reviving its military bases, particularly in the Philippines, was followed after former President Marcos was removed by them after a tumultuous ouster by the CIA.
Of course, the return of the bases was initially done by the son after he installed a lackey calling the reinvigorated agreement Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
When the son was elected President, he laid down the true intention of the US government for the country and for the region which was to formally reestablish the bases with the objective of isolating China from the rest of Southeast Asia.
The US did not only establish six but added four more to make it 10, all facing the South China Sea.
The US has to be reminded it was that country, together with our colonizer, Spain, that signed the agreement that ceded the Philippines to the US that today represents the disputed boundary in the South China Sea.
The Philippines merely ratified that treaty including the Scarborough Shoal where three of our fishermen died as a result of the ramming by a commercial oil tanker. All modifications in that treaty including our ratification of UNCLOS came subsequent to that treaty.
It was only after the US realized that China has become an existential threat to its own security did the US change its mind and demanded that Ayungin Shoal is part of our territorial waters.
Before the issue about China cropped up, Ayungin Shoal was never contested by the US.
In fact, before it gave up its military bases in 1991, Ayungin Shoal served as an extension of Subic Naval base where they could practice their aircraft for so-called “bombing runs.”
It was only after it realized the strategic importance of Ayungin Shoal did the US induce us to claim the area even if it was outside the 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
China’s basis for claiming many of the islets in the South China Sea is the Nine-Dash Line demarcated by Taiwan long before Taiwan and PRC parted ways.
The departure of the US in the Philippines in 1990 was sort of gratis et amore to given by the Philippines. The Nine-Dash Line claimed by China is being disputed by the Philippines as without any legal bases.
The Permanent Arbitration Court where the case was lodged as a complaint, but China rejected the decision.
China’s rejection of the PAC’s jurisdiction is understandable.
No state would submit itself to an international institution without its consent.
Besides, UNCLOS does not give a state the exclusive jurisdiction and control over an archipelago like control over South China Sea.
That would impede the freedom of navigation in the area.
We should never take the stance a belligerent position in our conflict with Taiwan.
It was the Philippines that demarcated those boundaries and must respect that.
Remember that in this case, we merely supported the interest of the US to implement what is known as “US proxy war” in the South China Sea.
We should bear in mind we are not at war with China and it is important to note it was the US that sought the return of the military bases in this country.
Their return was done through chicanery as the bases should have been terminated in 1991.
The US created an issue that tilted the focus of our attention into defending against alleged China invasion.
Moreover, the US reformatted our bases agreement, creating an underneath alliance from among its allies in Asia like Japan, South Korea, and Australia.
The most important reminder I could suggest to our people is to emphasize that in the event of war, we must ask the Americans, that it should be their soldiers that should first face the Chinese.
The US is under obligation to comply in the event of a renewed Cold War.
As I said, it was the US that signed the treaty that demarcated the boundaries that separated China in the South China Sea.
We should stop acting like gullible clowns or errand boys for US imperialism in this part of the world.
We should bear in mind that we are no longer fighting for our interest and security but in defense of Taiwan and arms traders made up of the US military industrial complex.
The death of three fishermen is caused by them wanting to dismantle the floating barrier installed by China by a runaway oil tanker off Bajo de Masinloc or Ayungin Shoal without them being informed of the possible consequences for their rash decision to dismantle those floating barriers.
Those fishermen acted like stooge of the US navy not knowing that the US will not come to their rescue even in situations like this.
Only thing that gave us a saving face is that the collision was between our fishing boat and ocean-going commercial tanker of which the US navy could avoid liability, though clearly, it was our fishermen that sought the accident to happen.
(rpkapunan@gmail.com)