"This cannot continue for a long time."
"This cannot continue for a long time."
The June 9 ramming of a Filipino boat Gem-Vir by a Chinese ship in the West Philippine Sea continues to make more Filipinos realize just how bias this administration is towards China. Twenty-two Filipino fishers could have died if not for the rescue by friendly Vietnamese.
It stands to reason for Filipinos to expect this government to protect its citizens first and foremost. Since the Chinese committed the aggression in Recto Bank within the waters included in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone, it is reasonable to expect this administration to rise in indignation against the Chinese. Not only did the Chinese ship ram a Filipino boat, the aggressors even turned back to see if the boat was sinking.
But as we now know, Filipino government officials headed by the President himself, have come to the defense of the Chinese. President Rodrigo Duterte’s “friends” need not do anything because the Philippines’ officials themselves are lawyering for them.
At first, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that the Chinese ship rammed the Filipino boat. Even Navy Chief Vice Admiral Robert Emperdad said that, “The ship was rammed. This is not a normal accident because it was anchored…” The Filipino fishers led by the boat’s captain, June Insigne were very clear in their narration of what happened. And this was consistent with the statement made by Ngo Van Theng, the owner of the Vietnamese boat that saved the 22 Filipinos including Insigne.
While Filipinos were expressing indignation over what was done to our fishers, it took our own President eight long days before saying anything about it. And what President Duterte said dismayed not a few. It revealed volumes about what kind of a leader of a sovereign nation he really is.
He said nothing about protecting our Filipino fishers. He trivialized the event and called it a small maritime incident in SOUTH CHINA SEA. Duterte resorted to his usual scare tactics and said that the Philippines cannot defeat China’s nuclear weapons. as if going to war is the only thing that the Philippine government can do to make China accountable.
After that pronouncement, Duterte’s allies started to close ranks to defend Duterte’s anti-Filipino remarks. There was a chorus saying that what happened could have been an accident. Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol even attempted to divide the fishers by pitting the statement of Richard Blaza, the crew’s cook claimed by Piñol as the only one who was awake before the “accident” happened against that of Insigne and the other fishers.
Lorenzana and Emperdad also changed their tune to mimic the “it could have been an accident” line. Piñol went to the fishers’ community for a “dialog” bearing gifts of small boats and loans to the affected families. He talked with the fishers “guarded” by intimidating lines and lines of policemen in full riot gear. One wonders what the police were there for. Were they expecting a violent riot? Or was that a show of force to intimidate and threaten the community. It certainly looked like the latter. Members of the media were barred from the “dialog.”
When Piñol and Insigne faced the media, the boat captain was visibly nervous, unsure. He did not appear like he came from a fruitful dialog. He apologized to Duterte for an earlier statement about being invited by the President to Malacañang and refusing to go. He said in a meek voice that he made a mistake. He was also no longer sure about what happened on June 9. Still, he asked Duterte to make the Chinese ship accountable for what happened to them. Lastly, he asked Duterte to keep the Chinese away from the Recto Bank because this is their source of livelihood.
Duterte responded by saying that the Philippines does not have sovereignty over our Exclusive Economic Zone and cannot prevent the Chinese from fishing there. People asked what part of “Exclusive Economic Zone” is not understood by the President. Duterte even said that he is unable to prevent the Chinese because of his earlier agreement with China’s President Xi Jinping. As if these statements are not enough, Senate President Tito Sotto even joined the fray saying that “It’s very difficult to say that there is exclusivity when it’s under water. The fish could be coming from China and fish from the Philippines could be going to China.” What comedy of errors! Only, their statements are not funny because they are giving away our sovereignty and natural resources to China.
Duterte’s statement drew flak from Constitutional experts Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, Con-Con delegate lawyer Christian Monsod, and former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay. Monsod even said that Duterte can be impeached for allowing the Chinese fish in our EEZ because the Constitution is clear that all resources in the EEZ should only be for Filipinos. In retaliation, Duterte arrogantly threatened to jail all those who will try to impeach him.
Only in the Philippines will you find public officials who care more about a country other than their own. Only in the Philippines can foreigners harvest natural riches that do not belong to them and not meet opposition from government. But this cannot continue for a long time. The Filipino people is waking up. This is happening now.
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