Roperos: Cursing the war

WHEN the actual entry of events are made in the pages of our Southeast Asian history, people from this part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) would abide strictly with the belief that they are closely related by blood. Hence, in Southeast Asia’s history, islands near China are considered to be part of China.

But many years ago, before the start of World War II, the situation was almost the same as it was today. Except that it was Japan that was somehow the aggressive one, and it had occupied much of China, and had invaded French Indochina. The large island of Formosa, which is almost as big as Japan, was in Japanese control.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, several Japanese establishments expanded. Oracca had a big bubble gum and candy factory in Davao. The Japanese was in the abaca industry in Davao as well. It is from abaca that a certain kind of rope was made. The rope made from abaca was a much needed requirement for the Japanese navy and shipping--an important requirement for them.

In those days, cheap Japanese products flooded Filipino stores in the down town of the city selling products like pencils that broke easily, folk arts toys, and paper things that were decidedly inferior. Rich Filipino families employed Japanese helpers who turned out to be agents of the Japanese military.

Certainly, it was reportedly presumed that it was hard for the Americans then to turn against the Japanese and fight them. So much are being taken by the Americans in matters of products. But in fact, history pointed out that on December 8, 1941, Japanese planes bombed Nichols field in Luzon, obviously as a way of misleading the Americans.

China, nonetheless, has laid claim to the Scarborough shoal, which are little islands not really far from the shores of the Philippines.

It is clear then that China has gone very close to the Philippines. This would support the claim of China that it owns the South China Sea. How then do we resolve the conflict?