"Why does our leader tolerate Chinese expansionism at our expense?"
"Why does our leader tolerate Chinese expansionism at our expense?"
Since Rodrigo Duterte won the presidential election in 2016, the first thing he did was to pivot to China. He said he was adopting an independent foreign policy. To give meaning to that pivot, he made four trips to China: the highest number of trips that a Philippine president has ever made in decades.
Duterte was obviously attempting to attract Chinese tourists and investors to the Philippines. Indeed, Chinese companies have made many investments: Just look at the irrigation projects and dams that have been financed by China. China has also partnered with local businessmen.
But China’s investments here are not as many as they are in other countries like Japan, South Korea and the United States, my gulay!
The Philippine Court of Arbitration in The Hague has ruled in the Philippines’ favor with respect to the dispute in the West Philippine Sea, junking China’s nine-dash line claim to it. This makes us wonder whether Duterte’s pivot to China is worth it.
The entry here of mainland Chinese – some 4 million of them, the equivalent of the population of Quezon City –has created big problems for the country. Some have criminal records, and syndicates make the Philippines their playground. Recall those reports of syndicates extorting money from Chinese expatriates and POGO workers
and kidnapping them. I would not be surprised if the syndicates are also responsible for smuggling shabu from China.
We also had that scandal where immigration people were found accepting bribes from these Chinese. The cash was rolled up in white paper, hence the name “pastillas.” The Duterte administration encouraged the visa-upon-arrival scheme, granted exclusively to the Chinese.
So was the entry of Chinese fall worth it? Retirement homes were also built for their benefit. The problem was that some of the retirees were only 35. Thirty-five! This is an issue that strikes at the heart of our national security.
Chinese vessels have been seen encroaching on waters of this occupied and militarized disputed territories. The Philippines has filed a diplomatic protection – but does the Chinese government care? We have also been told that members of the Chinese Coast Guard continue to harass Filipino fishermen who try to fish in the international fishing ground. The bullying continues. Why does Duterte even want to be friends with bullies?
Duterte’s pivot to China is a virus that may not be contagious and deadly like the COVID-19. Still, it is taking its toll on the country’s national sovereignty. Why does our leader tolerate Chinese expansionism at our expense?
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There’s this alarming report that Beijing Police have arrested manufacturers of fake vaccines.
I call it alarming because if there are Chinese syndicates doing this, Filipino syndicates cannot be far behind. Can you imagine what can happen if counterfeit vaccines were to flood the Philippines?
I have been telling Malacañang to undertake a massive education campaign regarding its vaccination program. The lives of Filipinos are at stake.
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Another alarming report about vaccines is that health experts say that people who get vaccinated would not entirely be safe from the virus. They should still observe health protocol.
If I were to interpret this warning, then vaccination will not protect us from COVID-19, and economic recovery will not happen yet.
This means that face-to face classes in all levels of education won’t happen just yet. More businesses would close down and more people would lose their jobs. Old people like me and my wife will continue to stay at home. We have not gone out in almost a year!
