China is like a dinosaur and the Philippines, a canine, but I don’t think that the former is really that strong. I believe that how China behaves with small countries is purely psychological. Power countries always have their weak points, too. If this country is firm, they will draw back when they see our teeth. If this country draws back, they will forge ahead. Bullying the weak and being concessive to the firm has always been China’s strategy.
The Albay governor, Joey Salceda, stood firm in his call. ‘National honour has no price tag. I love the Philippines and am ready to defend its territory,’ he said. Yes, I think the public has a right to suppose truthful actions from politicians. Of all politicians, only the Albay governor was valiant enough to face what might be result if ever the Philippines boycotts China’s products (made by bootleggers). They fill the void of our having lack of expensive tools and gadgets, that at least we have, though they are so cheap. And that can't make Filipinos wet behind the ears in terms of all manner of high-tech gadgetry.
Anyway, the bullying has started earlier this year, for instance, on 2 March when the Philippine military directed two military aeroplanes to round the sea and air space near Reed Banks, a long time Philippine-occupied area in the West Philippines Sea. The Philippines took the action in response to the behaviour of two Chinese patrol boats which beleaguered a Philippine ship searching for oil, as said by Lieutenant General Juancho Sabban, Philippine military commander.
A Philippine OV-10 aircraft and an Islander light patrol aircraft were organised after the incident was reported, Sablan averred. The Chinese boats appeared set to butt the Philippine vessel on two cases before turning away, a military official said. No warning shots were fired and the ships later left, officials said. A Philippine navy patrol vessel was sent to secure oil exploration activities at the Reed Bank, and the Chinese Embassy would not immediately respond to Philippine requests for a clarification.
The implication of this occurrence is that it shows that China means to emphasise its claims to sovereignty of the West Philippines Sea to the shores of the Philippines.
China’s act is compared to a hostile man who comes to the orchard of his neighbour to break up trees and pick up fruitlets and then asks for trouble to turn that orchard into the orchard of battle. We don’t discount that China had prepared in terms of public opinion before making the incident. It is also likely that China deliberately did it to misinform the possibility that it has reached compromise with other countries to isolate the Philippines. We need to keep a close watch on the situation and the ensuing moves of the related parties to know it.
Essentially, other countries make decisions based on their interests. The Philippines cannot pin the blame on them.
The Philippines cannot expect from the outsiders. We have to put our faith in ourselves. If we are firm, they will retreat. If we retreat, they will march forward. That is the rule of relationships. We need to recognise that China is big but it is not really strong. Strong countries are weak, too. Besides, China wants to establish a good reputation in the world these days. For one, it knows that reputation is known to be a ubiquitous, spontaneous, and highly efficient mechanism of social control in natural societies.
I think that the Philippines should move hurriedly to re-examine the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and get this issue over with. I believe that the Philippines has all the honourable ground over the claim considering its closeness to Palawan. Likewise, it's also within its jurisdictional exclusive economic zone and there's no way for other country to claim the entirety of the Spratly islands. Besides, the Philippines only claims what we think is ours and not the whole thing.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea undoubtedly states that the Reed Banks are within the Philippine exclusive economic zone. So, we shouldn’t be apprehensive because we are on the right side of the dispute.
The country’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity are supreme and indisputable. All watchwords and policies for any two-pronged relations are irregular, which are valid for certain times, not eternal. Nobody has the right to bargain their country’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
All at once, the Philippines needs to endorse exchange and negotiation with China on friendly relations between the two countries. I believe that the 1.3 billion Chinese are welcoming people who want to have good relations with the Philippines. I also believe that most of Chinese leaders have benevolence with the Philippines. This act is only the policy of some Chinese leaders who keep an eye on the expansion policy.
We need to enlighten the Chinese people about their government’s act. Chinese are provided with untruthful news about the West Philippines Sea. We have to wake them up and when they know the truth, I believe that they will have indispensible and rigorous actions.
The Philippines can also and has to inform international organisations where it is a member, as well as the UN, about China’s interference to call for international support. The Philippines also needs to fortify its armed forces and endorse a sea economy to dissuade anyone who intends to encroach upon the Philippine sovereignty and territorial integrity.
We have to make social unity and people’s truth. That’s the decisive strength to protect our country. And then President Aquino must have mystique and shamanism. Along with the Filipinos, our president, as international face of our country, must have a major bearing on the standing of this country.
He should be influential and never be a marionette of any strong country. He should remember that China being the world's third largest economy and being nouveau riche, is striving to be a responsible nation and that instead of bullying small and weak countries as some world powers have done, China is trying to be willing to do whatever it can to help other countries with their problems and promote world peace. Observably, its government have even proposed the concept of a harmonious world. One very apparent is that, in the past decade, they have sent more than 1,500 intermediaries on United Nations' missions. Thus, he should have attended the awarding of the Nobel Prize ceremonies despite China's call. For one, his decision is an irony to the ideals which his parents fought for. It is unbecoming of the son of democracy icon to snub the recognition of Chinese dissident who fought for human rights and democracy in China.
We should remember that China has its national pride, too. By being firm, it’s showing our stance that we don’t tolerate any big country to bully us into doing something we don't want to do. What’s the use of international laws, if these are not imposed? Or, the government must take the advice of Jose de Venecia, former speaker of the House. That is, there must be an equitable sharing amongst the claimant countries in terms of the natural resources they can find from Spratly. (But, of course, the Reed Banks belong to the Philippines.)
Bad things will always come about to us when we do nothing about it. But if we do, any bullying country can be free from committing gaffes against its neighbours.
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