Presidential game plan
The US government recently issued some alert that China is continuing to militarize the islands in the Spratleys and the Paracel. Photographs, presumably taken from satellites, were attached to the alert. I suppose our authorities and the officialdoms of countries-claiming ownership of some islands dotting the West Philippines Sea-have seen these.
Asked about the growing Chinese military structures in these islands, the National Defense secretary later confirmed the physical surge of these facilities of war, thus our officials were aware that China is occupying a part of our national territory. Our country is wronged and violated by a super power.Sadly, I have not heard a whimper of a protest from our officials, neither from President Rodrigo Dutertenor the voice of a leader agonized by this invasion.
Don't we have a ruling by the International Arbitration Tribunal that these islands form part of our sovereignty? And that the claims of China are not anchored on valid grounds? We achieved this victory through the efforts of our learned men and legal scholars with incalculable cost. Our country must, if we are steeped in our claims of independence, advance the importance of this decision.
I remember that our president is leading our country to a kind of relationship with China, which I describe as "lovey-dovey" for lack of a better and more acceptable term. If I touch sensitive nerves with my coinage of this term, I hope their hearts would forgive my candidness in expressing my utter dismay.
Earlier, Duterte, under the guise of defining a new foreign policy within the parameters of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, announced he was unprepared to poise our legal victory. I was caught off-guard. My lawyer's instinct told me that our country could not go wrong in invoking such a ruling. It could be a force to use against a giant enemy.
Amidst my personal conviction, however, I had to concede to the stand to our emerging leader. After all, his electoral triumph appeared unprecedented and perhaps he had a strategy worth trying, thus, I too withheld my acrid tongue.
Many months passed since the first supposed friendly gesture of our president with China. His pronouncements seemed to downgrade the imperialistic designs of our neighbor. It must be a change of international policy he is contriving, and our former pro-American predilection altered its thrusts. This is shown by Duterte's harsh words against the USA, and some members of the European Union in language frowned upon by decorum of amity and friendship.
This latest silence of Duterte on the continuing violation by China of our territorial integrity is not just a redefinition of our foreign policy. It is an abandonment of the president's solemn oath of office to defend our Constitution. In the context of what we are witnessing today, an impeachment is called for.
But when one comes forward with an impeachment complaint against the president, a crisis will arise that can be solved only by the president establishing a revolutionary government. I posit that this is the game plan of our president.
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