Unity needed more than ever

Interesting facts about Lithuania, one of the three Baltic states in Europe, with a population of only around 2.8 million, even smaller than Quezon City’s over 3 million people.

First, it is famous for being the only country with an official scent.

Second, Lithuanians are said to be the most passionate basketball loving people in Europe. its basketball team has bagged three bronze medals in the Olympics and many Lithuanians have made it to the NBA.

Third, Lithuanian is the oldest surviving Indo-European language in the world, with its earliest use travel back to over 5,000 years ago. Around 40 percent of the country is forest and Lithuania is said to have been the last country in Europe to convert to Christianity.

But one important fact about Lithuania is that its history is characterized by successful struggles. Occupied by Russia beginning in 1795, controlled by Germany briefly during World War II, and incorporated into the USSR in 1944 as one of its constituent republics although there was a brief period of independence from 1918 to 1940 during the interwar period, Lithuania declared its independence on March 11, 1990.

Meanwhile, little Lithuania took on global superpower China when the former allowed Taiwan to open a de facto embassy in late 2021. China downgraded ties with Lithuania and pressured multinationals to sever links with the Baltic nation. For China, that was tantamount to recognizing Taiwan as a sovereign country.

Meanwhile, The Diplomat wrote about how Lithuania is defying conventional wisdom that small states have little ability to influence larger powers. In a report, it described how in the early 90s, Lithuania disregarded the advice to not rock the boat and was the first to leave the Soviet Union. Two decades later, Lithuania stared down at another Communist regime, this time China.

It also observed how Lithuania’s outspokenness has visibly rattled Beijing, how Lithuania is the size of a flea under the feet of a fighting elephant, and yet, for a country that supposedly deserves no attention, Chinese-run propaganda devotes substantial time and effort to trying to berate and discredit Lithuania.

The same article reminded how small states are not doomed to be bystanders in the great power rivalry and how these countries can actively formulate strategies and shape great power competition.

Lithuania’s foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, just concluded a three-day official visit to the Philippines, the first high level visit to the country since Lithuania’s prime minister visited in 1995. He is the grandson of Vytautas Landbergis, Lithuania’s revolutionary hero and leader.

One of the questions often asked of the foreign minister is what suggestions he can give amidst the mounting tension between the Philippines and China over the territorial dispute involving the West Philippine Sea.

The need for unity is one. He said that whatever success they have achieved is because they are unified in achieving their goal.

Lansbergis also underscored the importance of standing one’s ground when it comes to the issue of national sovereignty, even as he emphasized the need for solidarity among countries such as the Philippines and Lithuania sticking together to manage the pressures. He likewise stressed the importance of joining international organizations, as he backed the Philippine government’s efforts to abide by international law.

And so, regardless of political leanings, all Filipinos should be united when the sovereignty of the nation and our people is threatened. Unity among us becomes more compelling if the threat to our authority to govern ourselves is external amidst the growing assertiveness of China in the West Philippine Sea.

There have been calls for former executives under the Duterte administration, then foreign affairs secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana, to set aside political partisanship and allow national interest prevail by helping unravel the truth as to the supposed secret agreement between Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping prior to Marcos’ assumption as president in 2022.

People have been asking for instance if is it true that the agreement requires the government to seek permit from China for our resupply missions in Ayungin Shoal? Of if it prohibits the Philippines from transporting construction supplies for permanent structures in the area?

At any rate, President Marcos is bent on searching clarity about the ‘secret agreement’. He said he was horrified by the fact that such agreement was kept secret from the people. He was concerned that it violates the Constitution and puts the sovereignty of the nation and its people in grave danger.

Some people have also criticized Senators Bong Go and Ronald Dela Rosa who choose to remain silent about the secret agreement.

Meanwhile, our Chief Executive has just arrived from the United States after successfully engaging with US President Joe Biden and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for the historic trilateral meeting in Washington, DC, bringing home the good news that our alliance with the US and other allied nations has become stronger, bolstered by security and economic engagements as well as close people-to-people ties.

Marcos unfortunately was welcomed with criticisms. For instance, they question why the President been commenting on the ‘secret agreement’ issue when he has been silent on the many brickbats thrown against him?

As the top leader of the land, he has chosen to respond only to issues that concern our nation and to shrug off the ones that are personal and false and baseless. But make no mistake. President Marcos will not hesitate calling out acts of oppression committed against the Filipinos.

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