EDITORIAL - Easier said than done

The US government’s cancellation of the visa of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa has led Pres. Rodrigo Duterte to threaten to cancel our Visiting Forces Agreement with the US if they fail to correct that “error.”

Enter Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, who says that we can turn to Russia and China for assistance in battling terrorism and other transnational crimes if ever the VFA is cancelled.

This will be easier said than done, sir.

Yes, while it is true that we don’t have any history of belligerence with China or Russia, you cannot ignore the fact that since the end of World War II, Filipinos have always been taught that Communism is the biggest enemy of our freedom.

Our policemen, soldiers, sailors, and airmen have been taught since childhood that Communism is the biggest threat to democracy. And it just so happens that China is still communist, despite the strange capitalist animal its economy is currently becoming.

As for Russia? We cannot really say it has discarded it communist robes after the two times Putin ascended power and just lorded it over there.

Let’s say they agree to help us battle terror and transnational crime; there will be stumbling blocks. Remember that our soldiers have gotten used to US tactics, weapons, and vehicles, among others. If we tap China or Russia for Foreign Military Assistance, that means our lawmen and soldiers might have to contend with totally new weapons systems, vehicles, technology, and tactics from the beginning.

Also, some people can’t help get the feeling that Andanar is aligning us with China and Russia against the US. Maybe he has forgotten that in the current geopolitical sphere, the US is on one side and China and Russia are on the other. Suggesting that we procure assistance in battling terrorism from any of these two will put us square against the US. Are we fighting with the US now?

There is also that nagging truth that if there is any country we are ever likely to go to war with right now or in the future…it will be China, what with its constant grabbing of our islands, their constant brazen intrusions into our sovereign territory, and use of our natural resources.

Of course, we don’t want war with China because the likelihood is that we will be overwhelmed by their superior numbers and armaments. However, the fact remains that many Filipinos don’t see themselves becoming chummy with China anytime soon.

So, when it comes to getting assistance in battling terrorism and other transnational crimes, the Duterte administration better come up with a better plan.