Why then is the US setting up more EDCA military bases in the Philippines and transferring Typhon missile launchers, moving troops around the country?.
The BBM administration has twice tried to de-escalate his security agencies’ tensions with China’s maritime forces in the two countries’ disputed areas of the South China Sea.
The first try, we can use the mnemonic “Vice Adm. Carlos de-escalation” that resulted in the “flawless” RORE mission to BRP Sierra Madre on Feb. 2, 2024.
The second is the “Bersamin de-escalation” of June 22 when the executive secretary used the terms “misunderstanding” and ”accident” to calm the furor over the June 17 “brawl.”
Both de-escalation attempts were treated as dead serious matters by the BBM government.
The first “Carlos de-escalation” (for short) was three months in the making, from Nov. 2023 when BBM raised the initiative with President Xi Jinping at the San Francisco APEC summit and went on until the controversial Adm. Carlos phone talk on the “new model” and the China-Philippines 8th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism meet in Shanghai in late January.
The second is the seriousness of the “Bersamin deescalation” as reflected by the convening of the Presidential Office for Maritime Concerns led by ex-general Andres Cenino and includes the National Maritime Council and UP Institute For Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea led by US-proxy scholar Jay Batongbacal who was represented by somebody else.
The Bersamin pronouncement de-escalated the tensions by signaling “We’ll work with China.”
While many were happy following the two de-escalations, the unhappiness of the US was shown in immediate interviews by the US proxy media outlets ANC and ABS-CBN of “assertive transparency” empresario and US Air Force ex-Col. Raymond Powell first expressing disappointment that there was no Chinese Coast Guard interception at the “flawless” Feb. 2 RORE and after the “Bersamin de-escalation” warning the Philippines “to be careful in its efforts to de-escalate…”
Clearly, the Philippines and many Filipinos continue to allow Americans like Raymond Powell to slap them left and right to stop them from believing they have the agency or any right to their own thoughts on these matters, as Kit Tatad wrote in his March column that a ranking US diplomat talked to a high Filipino defense and asked, “Why are you talking to the Chinese?”
Most analysts think Gibo Teodoro is the high Filipino official who also ordered the transfer of Adm. Carlos’ entire team out of WESCOM.
The Americans countermanded the two de-escalation attempts and the Chief Executive of the land did nothing to defend the dignity of the Republic, the Office of the President, and pursued its wobbling between de-escalation and carrying on with the subservience to US dictation to continue climbing the escalation ladder.
The constant wobbling should be wearing thin the patience of the Filipinos but the “idiotization” of many Filipinos by the US proxy media has achieved its unprecedented success.
The idiotization is so successful that most Filipinos don’t see they are following the tough “policeman of the world” America, actually the greatest wobbler of all time.
This is manifested in its “strategic ambiguity” with regard to Taiwan and its “ironclad commitment” to defend the Philippines based on the Mutual Defense Treaty with so many “ifs” and “buts.”
Filipinos should open wide their eyes it is all in reality just “ironclad wobbling” by the US
Last June 25, the Washington Post headlined: “US and Philippines seek to de-escalate after sea skirmish with China.”
The US seeks de-escalation with China but prohibits the Philippines from de-escalating.
Let us recall the US efforts to de-escalate, starting with the 2022 Chinese boycott of military-to-military talks with the US after the 2022 Pelosi Taiwan visit, the US begged to resume it through the 2023 fake Spy Balloon furor.
China only acceded in 2024. Behind the Filipinos’ back, the US is de-escalating with China.
Why then is the US setting up more EDCA military bases in the Philippines and transferring Typhon missile launchers, moving troops around the country?
In reply, let me point to a June 23, 2024 headline in several Philippine mainstream newspapers, “Philippine among top buyers of US aircraft, defense equipment,” while US financial mafia operations loot the country through proxy companies milking Filipinos power, water and public utilities, and US media proxies continue to distract and brainwash the Filipinos to “hate China.” (rpkapunan@gmail.com)