WHOEVER put up that “Welcome to the Philippines, province of China” banners in major streets in Metro Manila must have thought it funny. It was not.
It was an insult to Filipino independence and the Philippine government that two years ago won a ruling from the international arbitration tribunal in The Hague that declared as invalid China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the red banners, complete with Chinese flag and Chinese characters, were the work of enemies of the government of President Rodrigo Duterte. He said they were “traitors” of the nation.
But leftist personalities critical of Duterte’s close relations with China denied any part in it and said they did not have the money to print and put up those tarpaulins.
To determine who were responsible for the banners, find out what it takes to print them and have them up those walkways. Analyze the message and determine who stands to benefit from promoting it.
The banners were found Thursday morning hanging from three to four pedestrian overpasses in Metro Manila. Each banner, at two feet in height and five feet in width, can cost about P500. To hang them, one should have the authority to do it or, if without authority, should do it when those responsible for securing overpasses were not around.
As to the message, former solicitor general Florin Hilbay said it reflected Duterte’s soft stance on China. The President made a joke last February before Chinese-Filipino business leaders about making the Philippines a province of China. Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua saw the joke as Duterte’s ways to have closer relations with China following the territorial dispute.
Who were responsible for the banners? It could be the opposition. If not, it would be someone in government who wanted to be funny by playing the line of Duterte on the second anniversary of the landmark ruling. But it wasn’t funny in any way.
The Metro Manila Development Authority said it was asking witnesses and checking video from closed circuit cameras to determine the culprits. It said it did not give permits to anyone to post the tarpaulins.
With the Authority’s resources and Roque’s insistence that those responsible were “enemies,” it shouldn’t take long for the culprits to be discovered. When arrests are made of people in the leftist or underground sectors, then Roque would be proven right. If no suspects are arrested, it would mean inept investigators, lack of seriousness in getting to the bottom of it, or an office or group with government was behind it and would prefer the matter blows away and gets forgotten.
It will be to government’s advantage to see this to the end.
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I’m one of those who did not get pay-per-view cable subscription for the fight of Manny Pacquiao against Lucas Matthysse in Kuala Lumpur today, Sunday. I used to pay for live viewing of his fights. Not anymore. Pacquiao has lost his brilliance. He is not fun to watch as Senator Pacquiao; he isn’t fun to watch as a boxer.