Let the President right a wrong

I almost fell from my chair while watching 24 Oras Thursday evening. The most unlikely source of shock came from a report taken from a segment called “Reporter’s Notebook” showing a bully of a Chinese Coast Guard element ordering Filipinos on board a Filipino-owned vessel to get out of the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of the Philippines.

Initial fear seized my being. Who would not be afraid? With only a small outrigger being hounded by two Chinese military crafts loaded with smug-faced soldiers and a huge destroyer-looking coast guard asset patrolling nearby, the scene was never more frightening than the US naval flotilla pounding the defenseless and disorganized Japanese forces in Leyte to bring back Gen. Douglas MacArthur on October 20, 1944. The impact of the Chinese display of fire power and imperialistic design was fearsome on our national well-being as it was worrisome on our sovereignty. China, in my mind, grossly violated our territorial right.

Was it not that only a little over two years ago the Philippines secured from an international arbitral tribunal a ruling that said we have EEZ over many islands dotting the West Philippine Sea? In international law, that decision did not make the Philippines the absolute owner over these islands in a way a layman understands the term ownership. But in effect, it ruled that China had no legal right to occupy these islands, much less establish military facilities there.

The monumental failure of President Rodrigo Duterte to assert the tribunal’s decision is the main cause of our shameful and prejudiced situation. We enjoy a distinct advantage over China in our conflicting claims. Even if it is only a piece of paper, it carries the collective minds of the world’s acknowledged legal scholars composing an authoritative world body. The law is on our side.  In international diplomacy, though, the other states are just waiting for our country to pursue our legal victory for them to close ranks with us. The Philippines could have secured the massive support of other states had President Duterte not slept on our legal triumph. It was Duterte’s betrayal of his constitutional oath when he did not raise a howl of protest when these chink-eyed invaders started occupying the islands.

Recently, the president compounded his fault. In so many words, he aired a threat against his own people. By hinting that we are too small to wage war against China, he was telling us just to accept this usurpation.

 Let us do something to tell the President that his pronouncements and concomitant actions do not serve our national interest. The Integrated Bar of the Philippines should lead the way. The professional associations, the academe, civic clubs and the Church should take the streets to force the President to discard his pro-China stance. I am certain that when we are united in opposing the President’s footsie playing with the Chinese, he still can right his wrong.