By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
China’s audacity to bully its way around the West Philippine Sea is becoming a perilous display of dominance, if not witless bravado. Imagine their sending about 50 Chinese militia vessels to swarm the vicinity of Recto Bank!
Their ominous presence encroaching upon our maritime territory ignites concern — one described by Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Jay Tarriela as a seeming plot to illegally occupy this portion of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Even in the face of this unprecedented affront by Chinese maritime militias, diplomacy remains indispensable as far as Manila’s stand is concerned. That is because the Philippines knows that the whole world is cognizant of the weight of the 2016 arbitral ruling, even if China pretends it does not exist.
So, even in the meekness of the Filipino nation, stalwart allies in the United States, Japan, Australia, the EU, the ASEAN, and the rest of the free world support the bolstering of our country’s defense capabilities and keeping the stability of and accessibility to this critical Indo-Pacific trade route.
Therefore, China’s actions in the West Philippine Sea can only be read as a foolish retort, knowing that this maritime passage is a “world stage.” But even if this is merely a posturing of the dragon, China better back off because the Philippines’ defense treaties, engagements, and interoperability efforts with the world’s mightiest militaries are very real.
Spent force
The New People’s Army is now a spent force, with rebels down to 1,800 from 2,112 last December. Considering that in the mid-’80s, NPA fighters were 24,000 strong, current statistics are a testament to the government’s strategic victory on the peace front.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) should be commended for its determination to dismantle the politico-military structure of the CPP-NPA-NDF.
Col. Medel Aguilar, AFP spokesperson, said that with a concentrated focus on the remaining active guerrilla fronts, particularly in Northern Samar, achieving total victory is within reach.
To those who sympathize with the communist cause, Firing Line implores you to reconsider your path. Instead of perpetuating disunity and violence, let us focus on nation-building.
State colleges and other universities where the NPA recruits members should be centers of education and enlightenment, not breeding grounds for armed rebellion.
By joining hands and contributing to the betterment of our nation, Filipinos can build a brighter future for all. Let us support our armed forces as they work tirelessly to ensure our nation’s peace, stability, and progress.
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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
