Welcoming a new dawn

AND just like that, 2016 is over. It was almost a humdrum ending to what was a tumultuous year. Not that I was expecting a bang, mind you. But it was almost anti-climactic, considering what happened in the last 12 months.

Who would have thought, at the beginning of last year, that Michael Rama would be ousted from the Cebu City Hall? I certainly didn't. But he was, and now people who voted for his arch-rival last May are reaping what they sowed.

Anyway, what was that hullabaloo about the previous administration dumping the city's garbage in a private landfill in Consolacion? Because that's what the City is doing now. Dumping its garbage in the northern town, I mean. In fact, it might even be the same place.

I know, I know. It's not the City, per se, that is actually doing it. It has hired a service provider from Minglanilla to pick up the trash at the illegal transfer station at the South Road Properties and deliver it to its final resting place. At a much higher cost, may I add. So it's not really the same. Hmm. Let's see. What else? Last year, July to be exact, the whole country celebrated when the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal decided that the Philippines has exclusive sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea (in the South China Sea).

The administration of former president Benigno Aquino III filed its case in 2013 following a “tense standoff” between Chinese and Philippine ships at the Scarborough Shoal the year before.

I guess, by “tense standoff” that meant Beijing's fleet of state-of-theart, well-armed destroyers and frigates facing off against our very own Gregorio del Pilar-class frigates one of which was launched in the US back in, oh I don't know, 1965.

But no. the incident referred to what happened after the Philippine Navy apprehended eight mainland Chinese fishing vessels in the disputed area in April 2012.

When the euphoria of the “victory” died down, Aquino's successor, President Rodrigo Duterte, was left to deal with a not-so-happy giant northern neighbor which announced to the world that it was ignoring the international tribunal's decision because it would rather deal with the Philippines, one-on-one, to settle the issue.

So what was Duterte to do? Of course, the President was vilified by some quarters for kowtowing to Beijing, but, like Tomas Osmeña when confronted with Cebu City's garbage dilemma, he really had little choice.

It's not like we stand a chance against China when push comes to shove. Not only does it have the second largest global economy, it also spent around $150 billion last year to defend its population of 1.4 billion, the world's largest.

When dealing with an opponent with those numbers, pragmatism is the order of the day.

I mean, what else was Duterte supposed to do? He was caught between a rock and a hard place so he tried to squeeze in and make the most of it.

With that said, let me get on my high horse for a sec.

It's hard to ignore the inevitable. Whether we like it or not, the days of Pax Americana are numbered. And with Donald Trump at the White House, it won't be farfetched for the US to enter into another period of isolationism and to focus on domestic issues. After all, it had done so during the interim of the two world wars. And if that happens, I'm sure China won't mind taking its rightful place in the global arena.

So yes, it will be a new dawn, a new day and a new life under Pax Sinis.

But what about the climbing death toll in the government's battle against illegal drugs?

What about it?