If there is anyone that should be held accountable for China’s incursion into the Philippines’ territorial waters and exclusive economic zone (EEZ), it should be Noynoy Aquino and the four presidents that preceded him.
In the wake of the Vietnam War, President Marcos issued Presidential Decree 1596, declaring the Spratly Islands as Philippine territory and renamed it Kalayaan Islands.
In 1988, the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission awarded the People’s Republic of China and secured the permit to build at least five “observation posts” in the region, including the Spratly islands. So, it was in fact the United Nations agency that paved the way for China's expansion in the region.
Cory Aquino and the presidents that followed did not lift a finger as China built more posts throughout the 1990s in the Paracels, Fiery Cross Reef, Mischief Reef and the Spratlys.
It was during the first three years of Noynoy Aquino’s administration that China actually invaded Scarborough Shoal, and started its building spree.
Natulog sa pansitan si PNoy, and all he could do is rename the Philippine’s EEZ as “West Philippine Sea.”
Now, the Yellows want to do a fast one on President Duterte, crying out for his impeachment for stating he would allow China to fish in the Philippine EEZ.
Jailbird Leila de Lima called for the President’s impeachment, parroting Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio that allowing China to fish in the Philippines’ EEC is “unconstitutional.”
Who’s not surprised at hearing them Yellows cry for Manong Digong’s ouster each time he farts or blows his nose?
At least one of the five million Kapa Ministry members has a better justification in pressing for the President’s impeachment which is depriving them to be willing victims of the alleged investment scam.
Anyway, the presidential spokesman goes on to clarify that what the President meant was that it is up to China to stop its fishermen from entering our territorial waters should it want to honor our friendship.
Whether or not the President was “lost in translation,” it all boils down to one thing: If the Chinese fishermen keep intruding into our EEZ, what do you suppose we do? Are we ready for some fireworks?
Unlike Noynoy who repeatedly met Chinese President Xi Jinping and then resorted to backstabbing each time, Manong Digong has been keeping things civil and diplomatic between Manila and Beijing.
Note that every time Aquino ran his mouth back then, China simply creeped into the WPS, building even more artificial islets.
If Aquino’s whipping boy Mar Roxas had won in 2016 instead of Manong Digong, one can almost imagine China taking over all of Palawan just because of the Yellows’ provocations.
Verbally attacking Beijing didn’t work then and it will not work now, especially after we discovered that our supposed “allies” have been making us the dumping ground for their unrecyclable trash for many years.
Invoking the Mutual Defense Treaty with the U.S. will take actual military aggression on the part of China so, at this point, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Boy Locsin was right in saying that this predicament is ours alone to deal with.
No one can question Manong Digong’s love of country and the Filipino people.
Three years into his administration marked by significant changes in the country, who has not gotten used to Manong Digong’s figurative language? At any instance this Bisaya man does not come across well or anyone loses him in translation, one must realize that this warrior leader that I personally know is actually buying us time for the inevitable.
Those few Yellows out there should be careful of what they wish for.