Absolute visceral revulsion

After reading some of my stinging Off Tangent columns against China and Ambassador Jing Quan, a friend called me up with an advice for me to tone down my articles. In asking me to take care of my health by watching my heart and my blood pressure, he really sounded like a true friend. “Find a way to appease your resentment” was his wise counsel.

My friend was probably right. My resentful articles against the bullying of China and the perceived threats issued by the Chinese ambassador were only eating me. Judging from only little favorable feedbacks from my readers, I felt that my write-ups might have failed to convince a bigger portion of the reading public to see my point. It became an option to address my resentment.

To do that, I tried to identify the root cause of my feeling of ill will against Communist China in order to contain it somehow. What are these identifiable roots? For one, should I feel bitter that in 1995, the Chinese built octagonal structures at the Mischief Reef which they claimed to be temporary shelters for fishermen? Second. Why should I begrudge Red China for forcibly violating an area located within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone? Third. Should I be angry that the Communists upgraded those supposed temporary fishermen’s shelter to a fully militarized facility? Should I not be instead happy that foreign armed forces bearing Chinese flag are occupying an area well within the territorial sovereignty of the Philippines because they might be protecting us from other foreign invaders? Indeed, should I not be comfortable to see that the Chinese eventually erected 7 military establishments in the WPS which might be aimed to thwart other countries from also violating our sovereignty?

I must say it again. A Chinese Coast Guard rammed and sank Gen Ver I, an unarmed Filipino fishing vessel sailing within Philippine waters. Rather than being resentful, I should be glad that the Chinese abandoned the fishermen to die because my brother Filipinos proved that they could survive the barbarity of the Chinese.

There were many other incidents of Chinese brutality against our fellow Filipino servicemen which I angrily wrote about in this column. There were large Chinese coast guard vessels ramming much smaller Philippine ships. Was there not a Chinese navy training military grade lasers that blinded the eyes of Filipino naval crews? Did they not physically attack and injure our coast guard personnel? Did not a Chinese jet fighter send tracers that endangered a small Philippine air craft which was patrolling Philippine skies? Those articles of mine were admittedly expressions of resentment that my friend wanted me to tone down.

The last few of my harsh write-ups were resentfully centered on the threat of Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan. I had to read many times his statement to find out how I could write my comments without obvious bitterness. He said “We (not You?) should feel fortunate enough that you have a neighbor like China in this region. If we want to use force, we may easily win. But no, we'll not use force. We love peace." If only to heed the advice of my friend to cast away my resentment, I should not consider Jing Quan’s words as any form of threat. I should just accept it as a poorly constructed diplomatic jargon. Haughtiness which clothed Jing Quan is entirely opposite to humility which the ambassador does not possess. Thus, the nobility of my friend’s counsel is evident. So, I will do as he suggested. I want to end this article today saying that when I reread Jing Quan’s arrogant threat, I felt absolute, visceral revulsion.