By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
Right on point, House Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto underscored the importance of protesting China’s acts of aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). “We have to blow our whistle again and again,” he says, even if the military and economic giant is deaf, “because the whole world would hear.”
Firing Line finds it remarkable how China remains utterly deaf to our government’s diplomatic protests against their blatant acts of aggression in waters so close to our shores. It’s almost as if China thinks its maritime vessels can do whatever they want in Philippine territory without any consequences.
They’ve already harassed two Philippine Coast Guard patrol boats near Ayungin Shoal just recently. Yet, here they are, continuing their “maritime patintero” and showing off their bully credentials like it’s just a casual pastime.
China’s Foreign Ministry even had the gall to blame the PCG for the incident as allegedly “premeditated” and “provocative action.” What’s up, Beijing? Forget to take your manners and common sense pills today? Your nearest shore in Hainan is over 1,200 kilometers across the sea from Ayungin!
Still, let’s not give up hope. After all, the Philippines can always resort to wallpapering the Great Wall with diplomatic protests to make China listen. And if not, well, at least the whole world will hear the Philippines’ cries for justice.
Down South, Australia has called for peace and stability, citing concern over China’s “unprofessional and dangerous conduct” and the US has told China to cease its provocative actions.
Chinese President Xi Jinping should resort to respectable action. Stop playing bumper cars with other country’s ships and start playing nice in the sandbox, eh? Or maybe you just need to take a chill pill and let others exercise their legal rights in their own waters and let the PCG patrol the West Philippine Sea in peace.
Dirty ‘Ferdinand Marcos’
Did you hear about Ferdinand Marcos’s arrest while partying Sunday in BGC, Taguig City? Police said they picked him up at 3:20 a.m. at a bar due to acts of lasciviousness complaints. No joke, police said this Marcos reportedly tried to kiss 19-year-old Denise, invited 23-year-old Queenie to have sex, and then touched the breast of 19-year-old Raca.
Of course, this is not the same Ferdinand Marcos who took a plane to the US later that afternoon to meet with US President Joe Biden earlier this week. Although in the US, we can expect this Marcos to kiss some… well, something; then get invited, but only to meet the king of England, not the queen, and, perhaps, beat on his breast when he meets with homesick kababayans over there.
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SHORT BURSTS. For comments or reactions, email firingline@ymail.com or tweet @Side_View. Read current and past issues of this column at https://www.thephilbiznews.com
