Jet-ski diplomacy

THE problem with taking President Duterte’s words literally is that it actually makes one look silly, like riding that jet-ski in the Philippine shores to assert sovereignty for instance.

Duterte clarified that his words about riding a jet-ski to the West Philippine Sea territory to plant the Philippine flag in assertion our sovereignty to the island was just a figure of speech. But when the presidential son and special presidential assistant did ride on jet-skis in the president’s trip to Benham Rise, the stunt actually look like it doesn’t score any point at all for sover ei gnt y.

For one, Benham Rise is not even one of the contested islands. Two, compared to the might of military weapons and facilities built by China along the West Philippine Sea islands, fighting this with a jet-ski stunt just looks silly and very straight out from Hollywood.

Duterte has somehow skimmed through the issue of asserting sovereignty over these islands. “Wala tayong magagawa dyan” seems a sign of resignation, or to some, a pragmatic approach to avoid rocking the new business ties between China and the Philippines.

But defending sovereignty is something expected from leaders and citizens of the State. All the more with a President who in the past blasted the American government for the massacre of thousands of Moro people in Mindanao in the Fil-Am War in the early 1900s. Gone is the mayor who cursed when US agents whisked away a CIA agent from a Davao hospital, or when CIA agents negotiated to build a spy facility in Davao City.

There is no angry Duterte now that is lambasting China for ruining a new partnership by flexing its military muscles in our territories. And you contrast to his previous statements against the US, or to his statement about building an “independent foreign policy”. One wonders if he is again playing figures of speech.

For mer ambassador Hermenegildo Cruz is also right in his column to point out the inconsistency of the Duterte government in terms of diplomacy. He also points out the mark difference of how this government made short cuts in rescuing OFWs in Kuwait, which he rightly termed Rambo-style by shortcutting diplomatic process that posed more risks to our diplomatic and international stature in the Middle East .

I will also note that it seems the independent foreign policy is not in play here. From declaring that the country is severing relations with the US over a year ago, it seems the government has just found another big country that would serve as funder for government projects and source of foreign investments. Where is the independence in all that?

From US to China, the masters are all the same, flexing muscles and waving millions of money, at the expense of our country being open to more of the same exploitation of human and natural resources. At least, the jet-ski stunt is worth remembering for what it is. A stunt, an entertainment.— Tyrone Velez