THE swarming or “show of force” by the Chinese Navy and Coast ships at the Kalayaan Group of Islands and Scarborough Shoal does not instill fear nor deter the Filipinos’ resolve to push back on China’s aggression and bullying tactics in the West Philippine Sea, a senior lawmaker from Mindanao today said.
Instead, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said, China’s move only unifies the Filipinos further into adopting a “hate-China” mindset which is also being felt by people from Philippine’s allies like the United States, Canada, France, Australia, and Japan, among others.
The chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs said the growing “hate-China mindset” among Filipinos could be gleaned or interpreted in the latest Armed Forces of the Philippines-commissioned OCTA survey which indicated that seven (7) out of ten (10) Filipino adults are willing to defend the country “in case a conflict arises with a foreign enemy.”
He said although the survey did not directly mention the country’s conflict with China on the WPS issue, it is clear from the poll results that an overwhelming majority of Filipinos are aware of the issue and are dismayed over China’s aggression in the region
“Malinaw sa resulta ng AFP-OCTA survey na ang mayorya ng may edad na na Filipino ay handing ipaglaban ang ating bansa kung sakaling magkaroon tayo ng conflict sa ibang bansa.
At sa aking pananaw, indikasyon lang ito na lumalago ang resentment ng mga Filipino laban sa China dahil sa pinag-gagagawa ng huli sa West Philippine Sea,” he said.
Barbers also echoed the recent statement of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that the country will cooperate with China where both interests align, “but would push back when its sovereignty, sovereignty rights, and jurisdiction at the West Philippine Sea are ignored.”
China and its officials, he said, may have been emboldened to do their thing at the WPS because of the apparent direct and indirect support extended them by some unscrupulous Filipinos which he labeled as “Makabagong Makapili” or modern Filipino traitors.
The Makabayang Katipunan ng mga Pilipino (Patriotic Association of Filipinos), better known as the Makapili, was a group of Filipino traitors formed during World War II to collaborate and provide aid to the invading Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines.
“Hindi na natin siguro kailangang pag-isipan pa or i-memorize pa kung ano ang motibo ng mga Makabagong Makapili sa ating bansa,” he said.
Barber said China’s continuing naval ships presence, aggression and bullying tactics at the WPS for the past years could probably be due to the reported or alleged “deal” made or entered with China by a former Philippine official preventing the government to transport large-scale building materials to reinforce the BRB Sierra Madre, a World War II ship deliberately ran aground to establish foothold to the Ayungin shoal, in the West Philippine Sea.
If the deal was true, Barbers said, it can be considered as a treasonous act, a threat to the country’s national security and culpable violation of the Constitution.
“According to a 2016 Arbitral Ruling, Ayungin Shoal is within the Philippine’s exclusive economic zone. How can one person ‘promise’ or “agree” with China that the Philippines would not be reinforcing or resupplying its troops stationed at Ayungin Shoal?” he asked.
“May report na hinggil dito ang Rappler at Manila Times so, hindi na ito sikreto at dapat itago sa publiko. Simple lang and tanong natin dito – totoo ba ang naiulat nila o hindi?”.
