The Philippines’ very foreign policy
IT boggles the mind to see some “clever” friends raise the banner of Philippine sovereignty against China’s incursions into our territory and exclusive economic zone.
It is a surprise because there’s something beneath their warmongering and loud complaining that President Duterte is supposedly cavorting with or defending China.
They sound all brave and patriotic nowadays, but are they really standing up for the Philippines just like most of us? Or are they actually clamoring and setting the stage for their star-spangled eternal savior?
Our most rabid pro-American friends inside and outside of government have resisted and recoiled at any attempt to enforce the constitutional provision mandating an independent foreign policy. The only “independent foreign policy” acceptable to them is one that is stridently and blindly proAmerica. It is the exact same kind of policy that brought us to where we are right now: insecure in our own borders and without lots of confidence in the capabilities of the Philippine military to defend sovereignty and territory.
Yes, not all of our anti-China friends are automatically pro-Philippines in this political theater concerning the West Philippine Sea and Benham Rise. Yes, most of us are anti-China and pro-Philippines, in the fine patriotic traditional of our fearless heroes. But we have to be wary of those who are anti-China but are actually antiPhilippines and pro-America.
These colonial-minded friends are not fighting for the Philippines. They complain loudly against China, not so much because they want to protect our territory so that we Filipinos would mainly and firstly benefit from our immense natural, mineral and aquatic wealth. They rage against China as a demonstration of their loyalty and faith to Uncle Sam, in whom they profess allegiance.
These colonial-minded friends are some of the loudest in warmongering, egging and challenging Duterte to practically declare war against China. And yet they are quiet on who would actually fight that war they crave for. They know fully well the capabilities of the Philippine Navy, the armaments of the Philippine Marines, and the full force of the Philippine military. They themselves cry for war, but refuse to say that they would volunteer to fight in that war.
Why? Because they actually crave for a US war of intervention. They use the developments in support of their pro-Americanism in both military and foreign affairs. They want to continue to promote and justify the Mutual Defense Treaty, Visiting Forces Agreement and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement — the unequal treaties that are the legal framework of our permanent state of insecurity and dependence.
There are still some others who use Chinese aggression, bullying and threats as “just another issue” to promote their petty hypartisanship. All statements of Duterte, big or small, are fair game to them. They bring no new ideas except their toxic, divisive and inventive noises.
We must not respect those who resist China’s aggression only because they want the Philippines to remain as the chief US military outpost in Southeast Asia. They are not pro-Philippines. They are pro-America.
The problems in the West Philippine Sea and Benham Rise should compel us to question the “conventional wisdom” since 1946. We have not been made secure by proAmericanism, US military bases, and visiting US military forces. Dozens of “Balikatan” war games have not bought us respect in this part of the world.
President Aquino’s gift to President Obama — US military bases right inside Philippine military camps — did not change anything to our advantage. But the Americans won for themselves bigger perks than what they used to have under the old Military Bases Agreement: free bases to project their power in the region IN THEIR OWN INTEREST.
The colonial-minded Philippine state, colonial-minded academe, colonial-minded media and colonialminded military are in a state of denial. They cannot accept the fact that their colonial-minded policies that they enact, implement and promote have actually brought us to where we are now. Their solution is actually that same colonial-mindedness, desiring and inviting a US war of intervention. For them, this political theater is nothing but a choice between two imperialists whose interests obviously don’t always match ours.
President Duterte is at once in historic and delicate situation. Citizens are looking closely at how he responds to China, his alliance with the Russians and his overtures with the Trump administration. Is he shuffling the deck of our alliances? Is he trying to wrangle a better deal with the Big Powers who eye our territory, location and natural and human resources? What exactly is “independent” in his brand of independent foreign policy?
Foreign policy is not “simple lang”, as both simpletons and colonialminded folks would like us to believe. “Simple lang” has long been synonymous to siding with Uncle Sam, and backing politicians who side with Uncle Sam. Nothing is simple in a world that’s getting more complex by the day. Uncle Sam is heavily indebted to China, has more economic interests in China than here, and have more considerations in formulating its strategy in East Asia.
We could also put it this way: We cannot expect China, Russia and the US to separately or jointly promote a “Philippines first” or pro-Philippines foreign policy. They always promote and advance their own national interests. The government of the Philippines must promote the national interests of the Philippines — not China’s, Russia’s or America’s.
Only time will tell if Duterte would be different from other presidents by being the first to enact a truly independent foreign policy that protects and promotes our own national interests. We sure hope he wouldn’t just exchange the star-spangled leash for one that’s Made in China or one that would tie us to Moscow.
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