By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
China is at it again, but the world will have a difficult time believing its narrative that it’s the victim as usual. The recent aggression against the Philippines at Scarborough Shoal, with Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels using water cannons to damage Filipino vessels, is a blatant display of power and disregard for international norms.
Manila, rightfully standing its ground in its own waters, faces harassment and obstruction from Chinese vessels. This latest incident on Tuesday, amid joint military exercises with the United States and France, underscores China’s aggressive, dangerous, and war-mongering stance in the region.
According to the Philippine Coast Guard, the confrontation occurred when two CCG ships used water cannons against Philippine vessels distributing supplies to Filipino fishermen at the traditional fishing ground within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Mind you, this is not the first time Chinese vessels felt the urge to use force against the Philippines’ legitimate operations. The CCG had already damaged Philippine ships in the past in its adamant stance to restrict access to the area.
This aggressive behavior is not an isolated incident but part of China’s broader strategy to assert control over the South China Sea, disregarding international law and rulings against its expansive claims.
No wonder the international community is coming together to oppose China’s bullying tactics, especially against the Philippines. China’s president, Xi Jinping, must learn that, like all nations, regardless of size, the Philippines must be treated with decency and respect.
Rice and hunger
For a president who made a campaign promise to bring down the price of rice to P25 a kilo, the situation isn’t just disappointing; it’s disgraceful.
The recent spike in hunger, with 14.2% of Filipino families experiencing involuntary starvation, is a damning indictment of President Bongbong Marcos’s administration. This figure, a 1.6-point increase since December 2023, reflects statistical trends and human suffering two years into this elected government.
Despite assurances from his well-positioned cousin, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, that amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law would be prioritized to bring rice prices down, the latest Social Weather Stations survey on soaring hunger is staring us here and now.
It would take time for proposed amendments aiming to reduce rice prices—by allowing the government to purchase farmers’ produce and sell rice cheaper than commercial traders—to make an impact, if at all.
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