AS an organizer, I was told to rely on the advanced forces over the backward ones, which is logical considering how the advanced forces can pull the middle and backward forces towards your goal. That applies, too, in the choice of leaders. The ideal is for leaders to be from the advanced forces—forward looking, wily and determined.
That’s why President Duterte’s statement on the South China Sea row make you smile initially, then you end up weeping.
China is claiming as its territory the entire South China Sea, including the nearby Spratlys, which is composed of islands, islets, shoals and reefs in the West Philippine Sea. Chinese claims also reach other the other group of islands, islets, shoals and reefs called the Paracels, an area also claimed by Vietnam.
When China seized these territories and built artificial islands that then became the site of what looked like landing strips and military structures, its intention became clear. Those territories are far from China’s major islands and closer to the countries that claim them as its own. For starters, the Spratlys are closer to the Philippines than to mainland China.
So the building of artificial islands served a purpose, to establish forward bases in the claimed territories where it could intimidate the other claimants. And the plan has just been realized, with China installing missiles in the Spratlys and the Paracels and holding training exercises there using its bombers. Our government’s response? President Duterte is asking us to be meek.
Meanwhile, there was this report of Filipino fishermen who were shooed away from the disputed territories trying to put up a fight, a losing one no doubt but one that they dared to do, against the Chinese coast guard. Between the President and those fishermen, who do you think belong to the country’s advanced forces?
The President’s latest statement on the issue is one that reduces a complex concern into a simplistic notion. We Cebuanos have a term for that: “binugoy.” Here’s what he told reporters a few days ago:
“I can declare war on China tonight. At sino ang magpunta? Sundalo ko? Pulis ko? Mamatay lang lahat ‘yan. Why will I go to war for a battle that I cannot win? Para akong gago...
“So sino ‘yung mga gustong pumunta doon ngayon. Okay man ako. We will declare war (with) China provided ‘yung mga ugok, ‘yung maingay mauna sila. Nandiyan ako sa likod nila. Pagdating doon iwanan ko sila. Bahala kayo, eh gusto makipag-away.”
That’s our leader talking. In so many words, he told us to be meek, worse be cowards, while we are being threatened by a bully. But is the Duterte method the only way to deal with the China threat? Compare that with this view from former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay:
“Between silence and war is a big universe of options, tools, weapons, levers, strategies and tactics. It’s called diplomacy. It’s false dichotomy to think that our only options are embarrassing silence and a bloody war.
“Kung gusto may paraan; kung ayaw laging may dahilan.”
It’s just unfortunate that in this crucial period of our history as an independent state, those possessing backward thinking are our leaders.