Wanted once more: A strong armed forces!

Tonight we have a special show for you on Straight from the Sky as we bring to you straight from the Museo Sugbo, the 5th Gabii sa Kabilin, a unique way that the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) entices the local population (and of course the tourists) to come and visit the various museums of Cebu. Last year there were nine participating museums and it has grown to 11 with the Cebu Normal University (CNU) museum opening on Friday, May 27th, in the afternoon. Also returning to the museum scene is the Cebu City Museum at the old Rizal Library. That means there will be more to see this coming Friday at the Gabii sa Kabilin.

With us tonight for this very interesting discussion on Cebu’s history is Dr. Jocelyn Gerra, Culture & Heritage Head of RAFI; Dr. Romola Savallon, Consultant Cebu Normal University; Ma. Cecilia Cabañes, Curator Museo Sugbo and; Connie Jane Cuyos, Administrator for the Cebu City Museum. Please put it in your calendars that the 5th Gabii sa Kabilin is on May 27th from six in the evening to midnight. Last year thousands already joined and I’m sure there will be thousands more joining Cebu’s version of a Night at the Museums. This is the only one of its kind in the whole Philippines. 

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A few days ago, Pres. Benigno “PNoy” Aquino, III was given a VIP status on board the US Aircraft Carrier the USS Carl Vinson, the American carrier that was recently featured as the warship that received the dead remains of the world’s number one terrorist, Osama bin Laden. Reports said that Bin Laden was given a Muslim funeral at sea but I really don’t believe this story. Anyway the USS Carl Vinson visited Manila for four days on a goodwill visit.

But clearly, the Chinese government was reading those news reports hence it is not a coincidence that all of the sudden, a few days ago Chinese Mig 29 jet fighters suddenly buzzed our aging OV-10 Broncos in the South China sea. The OV-10s were on a training mission over the Spratlys when the Chinese came for an unexpected visit. What does this tell you? China is sore at Pres. PNoy for kowtowing to the Americans, hence they sent a couple of Migs to show us that they too have the military capability to snuff out any air assets that we have that are still flyable. But shouldn’t we also be sore at China for executing those Filipino drug mules?

But what can propeller-driven Broncos do against the far more superior Mig 29s? It would be like throwing toothpicks at those Chinese jets. I’m sure that this encounter was seen by the radars of the USS Carl Vinson or even by US Military satellites because the US military has the capability to look at anything that flies in the South China Sea.

One again, this brings us to the more important issue of having a strong Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Sure US Ambassador Harry Thomas, Jr. already said that America would honor its treaties with the Philippines in case we are attacked by foreign invaders. God knows that Amb. Thomas was referring to China. I mean who amongst our ASEAN neighbors has the capability to invade us? Certainly, China has that capability. Now whether they would is another story.

Now that the fun is over for Pres. PNoy, it is time for him to get serious about our relations with the United States, more so that he has proven himself to be an American stooge, agreeing to be the poster boy for the Reproductive Health (RH) bill, which has, no doubt, polarized this very Catholic nation of ours. But what are we getting in return for our being allied with the United States, especially in these times when China has shown some kind of belligerency against the US and yes, by their buzzing our rickety old OV-10s in our own airspace. They are obviously provoking the Philippines.

If PNoy is a President worth his salt, he should huff over to Washington D. C. and tell Pres. Barrack Obama that it is time for the Americans to reduce its aid to Pakistan (they get only US$ 2 Billion annually) and increase their foreign aid to the Philippines. What’s a few squadrons of F-18 Hornets or F-16 Falcons that the US can give to the Philippines so we can better protect ourselves against such belligerent behavior by the Chinese military?

Certainly pundits may argue that the Philippines is in no way being threatened by China. While I do not dispute such an argument, but history teaches us a most bitter lesson. We never had any quarrels with the Japanese prior to World War II, nor did the Japanese have aggressive designs against us, although they were toying with that idea called the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere that Japan tried to force upon us.

But then our being under the United States meant that when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the next target would be the Philippines as we were an American colony. Indeed, we paid dearly in that ugly war. But an independent Philippine should by now have a strong Air Force to counter any intrusions on our airspace and prevent anymore similar encounters.

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