It only takes one person

According to Department of National Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana, the Chinese law allowing its coast guard to use deadly force on so-called violators of their sovereignty "might cause miscalculations and accidents". Indeed it only takes one person who interprets the new law literally to start using his weapon on whatever vessel, civilian or military, and start a chain reaction of chaos. Our local fishermen are supposedly experiencing more harassment from large Chinese coast guard vessels than in previous months. But will the coast guard engage foreign military vessels?

Just recently a French submarine along with its support ship conducted a patrol on the South China Sea. No reports of it being engaged or harassed by the Chinese coast guard were noted, which is a good thing although I doubt if Beijing will stay silent on the matter. They have always condemned whatever vessel, especially naval warships that sail the waters under freedom of navigation principles. It is surprising that now we have vessels from France which are literally oceans away from their home port. But I do welcome such a move by the French Navy. I understand other countries like Australia, Japan, and the US also plan on freely navigating the waters.

Here is where I don't understand something. If the AFP is so intent on battling communism, even having an agency like the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) with its spokesperson recklessly red-tagging individuals and groups, why not face the now aggressive stance of the largest communist country in the world? If I'm not mistaken, China is still a communist state and the largest of five remaining truly communist countries. And yet this administration has fully embraced its arms around China.

The NTF-ELCAC has a budget of P19 billion. That's a lot by any standard. With funds like that, why not use it to end the real enemies of the state that have taken arms and not against actresses, universities, and now journalists? Invest in the latest drones that can be used to determine the location of these insurgents. Link up with the satellites of allied countries to find their camps. That kind of money goes a long way in terms of true intelligence.

Department of Foreign Affairs Sec. Locsin vows "more than just a protest" should there be a violent incident due to the new order given to the Chinese coast guard. Let's hope it doesn't come to that but as I said in the beginning, it only takes one trigger-happy fanatic to start chaos. With the possibility of so many foreign navies sailing through the South China Sea, it has become the world's newest flashpoint.