While the Philippines adopts the anemic position that it is still verifying the presence of Chinese missiles in the Spratly Islands, a fact that China has already admitted, Vietnam categorically demands China to withdraw its missiles from day one.
President Duterte proclaimed that China is the protector of the Philippines. He added that the Philippines will stay “neutral” in the regional power play between the US and China, forgetting that the Spratly Islands threatened by China are Philippine-occupied areas, not US territory.
His Malacañang spokesperson claims that if ever there are Chinese missiles in the Spratlys, they are not directed at us because China is already our friend. He, however, does not explain how China can be a friend while it installs missiles less than 300 kilometers from our shores.
In the face of Vietnam’s impressive statement that the deployment of Chinese missiles is a direct threat to its national security and sovereignty, the Philippine position comes across as nothing short of a pathetic and shameful excuse for Malacañang’s inaction and indecisiveness on the issue of China’s domination of the Spratlys. Malacañang’s lack of response up to the present betrays the complete absence of a comprehensive foreign and defense policy vis-a-vis China, except one of simple mendicancy, appeasement, and collaboration.
This policy, when compared to Vietnam’s strong statement, shows how far Malacañang has regressed in the defense of the country’s territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea. It reflects a broken down foreign and defense policy that amounts to nothing more than the present government’s absolute and total abdication of its WPS interests.
This policy is nothing more than capitulation to China, and bowing to whatever it chooses to ram down our throats. This ramming is already so far down our throats, it has already silenced any protest. It is doubtful that we will be finding our voice anytime soon, even as we gradually yet decisively lose ground in the WPS and lose face among our neighbors. ###