| Photo by Joseph Chan on Unsplash
I must admit that I did not expect this administration to take a firm stand against the bullying of China. But what I have observed makes me happy to have been wrong in my apprehension. The more recent actions by both the civilian and military leaderships are most welcome, not only to me but to the majority of Filipinos who were too timid during the Duterte presidency to openly express their resentment at China.
Last August, the Philippine Coast Guard publicly condemned China for using water cannons to stop supply ships of the Philippine Navy on their way to deliver supplies to the grounded Sierra Madre outpost. It was not the first time that Chinese ships had fired water cannons at Filipino supply ships; in fact, it has not only been firing water cannons but other acts of bullying. But the Philippine Coast Guard put out a strongly worded rebuke this time.
It was as though the Coast Guard and the Philippine Navy had restrained themselves from speaking out against China for so long that a dam of resentment burst. There had been no lack of military officers who found it painful, even unpatriotic when the country’s leadership before glossed over China’s bullying. But then, they also saw how POGO abuses were left uncensored, and overdue POGO taxes due to the Philippine government were left strangely uncollected by our BIR.
It was openly mentioned before that going to war against China was suicidal, as though Filipinos are so stupid as not to know how superior China is militarily. And using that undeniable fact, the message was clear from traitors to Philippine sovereignty and territory – just grin and bear it, let China feed us with tourist loans for projects because we cannot stop their attempts to take what is ours. In other words, profit from them if you can’t beat them.
It sure did seem to me that the Philippines was for sale, not only from the eyes of the Chinese government but even from Filipinos who were ashamed that their homeland was made to look that way. It is not the fault of most Filipinos that they would choose the United States over China. The history of the last 70 years can properly explain the favorable outlook of most Filipinos towards America and its Western allies.
China was always accessible to court Filipinos. Chinese blood flows through the veins of what I suspect is the majority of Filipinos, and that is a severe relational advantage. The lineage of many Filipino clans can be traced to China, and any attempt to foster familial and cultural ties could have eased the impact of our pro-America stance. However, the expansionist intent of the leadership of China made us Filipinos largely irrelevant. We were too small, we were too weak, we were too poor – therefore, easy to bully, easy to scare, maybe even easy to buy.
“In the realm of possibilities, so much opportunity is there for a fraternal relationship. But present-day reality drastically limits the possibilities. Ambition for global domination by China makes our inner wishes for friendship impossible. After all, who are we Filipinos to be an exception for a giant? We might as well be prepared.”
Look at the rest of Asia and the 9-dash line (now 10-dash line already). How many countries is China claiming to have their historical territory? The Philippines is only one of many accused of intruding into China’s sovereign domain. It also did not matter much to China that they had created enemies of nations who could easily be their friends. They want to dominate the world, starting with Asia, no matter how or the consequences. This expansionist drive makes us afraid; frankly, the rest of the world is just as afraid.
Our fear drives us to a corner. We do not want to incur the wrath of a giant nation. However, the price for our submission and humiliation may be too painful for many Filipinos. Our fear and anger give us the impetus to resist. And the common fear of China’s expansionist ambition creates natural alliances among many countries. Together, China’s enemies are formidable enough to attract the Philippines to seek alliances with them.
And the Philippines will. The more aggressive China moves against us, the more aggressive we will reach out for military and economic alliances. It will go beyond objective reasoning; it will be a matter of survival for us.
This is why I always tend to agree with government moves to rekindle patriotism in Filipinos. We have the prospects of war ahead, which will be more difficult for us than for China. We must suffer much before global assistance fully compensates for our lack of military and economic strength. Only an intense love of a free and dignified Philippines and our patriotism can keep us going when China goes against us.
At the same time, the government can intensify an inherent love of the country by having leaders who are prime examples of patriotism. In other words, no one can make better patriots of Filipinos than active and visible patriots among our leaders. In a like and reverse manner, traitors can generate our natural fear of surrender or collaboration with China. Let us be aware of this. Traitors from the Spanish, American, and Japanese conquests of our motherland are not new in our national setting.
The aggression of China is a sad development for Filipinos. By all accounts, we should be allies. The history of China and the Philippines as traditional trading partners and blood brothers is well established. It is difficult for Chinoys (who really knows how substantial that number is today) to feel animosity for the land and people where their ancestors came from. But when bullied and disrespected, the choice becomes straightforward.
In the realm of possibilities, so much opportunity is there for a fraternal relationship. But present-day reality drastically limits the possibilities. Ambition for global domination by China makes our inner wishes for friendship impossible. After all, who are we Filipinos to be an exception for a giant? We might as well be prepared.
