By Jun Avelino
I read recently several attacks against the President charging him of giving up our sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal and that for doing so, he can be impeached. This is because, instead of confronting China over the issue with our international court victory, Duterte opted to negotiate with China directly which the perennial oppositionists called a sell off on our sovereignty. It is blaming Duterte for allowing China to occupy that uninhabited rocky outcrops, atolls, sandbanks, and reefs 198 kms away from West of Subic Bay.
Just some fact checking first here. China has been occupying Scarborough shoal since 2012, (more than 4 years before Duterte became President) after it drove away our fishermen in the area claiming that it is part of its territory based on its 9-Dash Line Map anchored mainly on historical grounds. The area is within the Philippine’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by the UN Convention on Law of the Seas (UNCLOS). Our basis of ownership is geographic proximity. For 4 years, what did the Aquino government do considering our military incapability to confront Chinese Naval ships? It lodged diplomatic protest with China. To resolve the conflict, China demanded direct negotiation with the Philippines without the involvement of America. There were back channel talks done and Pnoy secretly sent Sen. Sonny Trillanes to China for some filthy fishy mission involving businessmen interests, in an apparent move to get something out of the stand-off. Please read “Enrile-Trillanes Fight over talks with China by rappler in September 2012 (http://www.rappler.com/…/12700-enrile,-trillanes-fight-over…). You will see how the good Senator could have possibly committed treason with the backing of Pnoy for attempting on a sell off on our sovereignty over Scarborough shoal for some considerations. When they failed to get what they wanted, upon the prodding of the US, Aquino took the stand-off to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), challenging the 9-Dash Line Claim of China. The latter did not participate as it looked at the move of the Philippines as being instigated by the US. Hence, instead of standing down, China extended its presence beyond Scarborough Shoal with an apparent attempt to militarize the whole of china sea treating Philippine’s actions as threatening its interest in the region. We won the case easily in July 2016 sans the participation of China in the proceedings. Because China never recognized the tribunal’s decision, we are now faced with the dilemma on how to enforce it. US, UN and EU or any of its instrumentalities cannot enforce such decision. The move therefore did not solve the problem. It instead prolonged our agony as a country and denying our fishermen the right to exploit the rich marine resources in the area for so long a time.
One would wonder why Philippines cooperated with America in filing the case at the PCA knowing that we will be facing this blank wall thereafter. The writings are on the wall. America and Europe for that matter, had succeeded in getting that decision from an International Court voiding the 9-Dash Line Map of China’s claim which effectively claims the entire South China Sea. With that decision, the west now has basis in stopping China from imposing control over that international water way and overflight thereon where worth USD 5 Trillion of global trade passes annually going to the west. It is still their business and economic interests which they are protecting at the expense of our good relations with our neighbor, China. It has become obvious, all these shenanigans are designed to establish a protracted war between Philippines and China to keep the latter from establishing control on the entire South China sea to protect the interest of the west. Clearly, the Scarborough shoal issue was mishandled by the previous administration. What is disgusting here is the fact that those who are responsible in all these mess, are now blaming Duterte for allowing China’s continued occupation in the Scarborough Shoal barely 3 months after his assumption into power. This is a grave malicious lie which Filipinos should know. The previous administration sat on its ass on the issue by allowing itself to be used by America in filing that case against China which yielded nothing for the Philippines but only a protracted enmity with China. Clearly, by design, this is what the west wants.
What is deeply disturbing here is the fact that there exists this US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty in 1951 which was reaffirmed in 2011 between Obama and the Aquino administrations. It provides protection by both parties in case of invasion. We also forged EDCA in 2014 which provides among others, maritime security for the Philippines. Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio (whom I admire so much for his intellect) called out Duterte recently and even declared him wrong when the President said that China never invaded us. He cited then the incident of Scarborough Shoal in 2012 as a form of invasion. This same SC Justice was the one who claimed that America is the only one who can protect us in the Scarborough shoal stand-off, ergo we need to keep our alliance with the US instead of befriending China. With due respect, this argument is preposterously ridiculous. Given the fact that we have those 2 mentioned treaties, America should have protected us in the Scarborough shoal invasion. The Aquino government could have asked US to drive away the Chinese naval vessels from the area and ensure our sovereignty thereon in the name of our alliance and by virtue of the mutual defense treaty and EDCA. The Scarborough shoal invasion (if you call it that way) is the litmus test on the relevance of our alliance with the US and sadly, it has miserably failed us. It proved inutile and useless. Adding insult to injury, US has in a way exploited us further by using our country to get a court decision rejecting the 9-Dash Line claim of China over South china sea, thereby cementing their grip over the international water way to protect the west’s interest. Sanamagan. It was the victory of the west, not ours. How can we be that stupid?
It took Duterte a few expletives against the US (“Fuck Youing America), a declaration of independent foreign policy and one visit to China to bring back our fishermen to the Scarborough Shoal – in less than 4 months! My god, these idiots took them 4 years on a long journey to the PCA, taken for a ride by America to get what it wants and ended up with nothing for the country. Sanamagan. The clear message here is that we cannot depend on America for our defense. America is just using the mutual defense treaty and EDCA for their self-vested interests. Mind you, if tension between China and America in the South china sea heightens, US will invoke the mutual defense treaty to dock their naval ships on our shores to reinforce US naval fleet patrolling the South China sea protecting the international navigation way. And if war erupts, our country will be the first logical target of bombing by China. As Duterte said, we are not a country which is at war with anyone. It is America who is rivalling China in the region on the balance of power. Why allow ourselves to be used in the conflict which is not ours on the first place? Duterte’s foreign policy direction with China has in effect abrogated our exclusive alliance with the US. But the diplomatic and friendly relations remain, with the same level as that of China. Our friendship with the US goes beyond the South China sea issue. We were colonized by America for decades, fought with America and shed millions of Filipino lives during WWII defending the blue and red stripes flag, and embraced American democracy as the foundation of our political government. In many ways, it has helped us and our families in the US for which Filipinos should be thankful for. We can never be anti-American for we love them as people. What we abhor is the way American government manipulated our country for its greed for power in the region and lust for war. For Philippines to grow as a country given the realities around, it has to be on its own, taking the path to peace and friendship with its Asian neighbors instead of continuously placing itself in the shadow of that American alliance which has caused its economic and military stagnation for several decades, much less, enmity with its neighbors. We have to get out of it. This is Duterte’s foreign policy direction. You can read this not from his foul mouth but based on the sum total of what he wants for this country, his political persuasion and agenda, and above all, his love for our fatherland.
(Permission is hereby given to share or repost this piece -JA)
No comments:
Post a Comment