Fear

Thinking that in my insignificance, I still could add one little voice to the growing horde of opinion makers, I recently wrote in this column my feeling of personal insult when our former Supreme Court justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, was humiliated in Hong Kong, a supposedly autonomous administrative region of China. Hong Kong authorities, whose intellect I presume to be mediocre compared to the profound mind of the Supreme Court justice, stripped her of the dignity international scholars honor her with, by herding her to an immigration investigating room good only for drug mules. It was my hope our government would take up our collective indignation.

Alas, none came from our officials. This failure to show what could be done to protect her honor from an irrational act by immigration personnel is beyond comprehension. Government officials didn’t see the wrong done to her. My indignant spirit was dampened. It seemed my cause (and that of many others) was misplaced. Taking cue from the deathly silence of our leaders, I wouldn’t risk my neck criticizing the morons among Hong Kong…err, Chinese immigration officers. Still, I would like to know why most, if not all, of our leaders were so timid in the face of the injustice committed against a justice.

Then came Gem-ver 1, the Filipino fishing vessel hit by a Chinese boat called 42212, in Philippine waters. There is perception the intruder is a militia component of China and, if it were so, the intrusion was a violation of our sovereign rights such that government officials are supposed to rise in furor. Unfortunately too, a cacophony of our leaders, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, and Agriculture Secretary Piñol don’t want to attribute a wrongdoing to 42212. Why?

There’s no doubt China is a superpower. Its military might is superior to most countries. President Rodrigo Duterte is correct in declaring an obvious fear. In a military conflict against the army of this behemoth, we can get blown away, probably in minutes. It’s this fear that made him allow China to invade and occupy certain islets in the West Philippine Sea. Out of his fear, Duterte resorted to a verbal cover-up of the sinking of the Gem-ver. It didn’t matter to him that it happened in our exclusive economic zone and the lives of 22 Filipinos were in jeopardy. In claiming that China is a friend, he described the sinking of Gem-ver as a “maritime incident”. So be it!

The other day, we were again bullied by surrogate Chinese officials. Former foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario suffered the cruel fate of Justice Carpio-Morales. Upon landing in Hong Kong, he was literally arrested and detained for more than six hours even if he had a diplomatic passport. After his unlawful arrest, Del Rosario was deported back to the Philippines.

The scene was very sad and should have repercussions in international diplomatic protocol. But what added insult to injury were the comments of our officials. One senator even blamed Del Rosario for using a diplomatic when he is no longer in the service. The senator, who doesn’t know international law, should have held his tongue rather than expose his legal inadequacy.

I am not expecting the president to lend a hand to Del Rosario, or even to show discomfort over the bullying. Judging from his fear of China, it is possible Duterte will blame Del Rosario for traveling to Hong Kong. If I were to copy the millennials, OMG!