Prudence is not cowardice, bravado is not bravey

The actions of China in the South China Sea are indeed condemnable. We do not need anyone to tell us we are being abused, harassed, and taken advantage of by the neighborhood bully. But if Senator Panfilo Lacson, in filing a Senate resolution condemning China, only needs a boost to his flagging presidential campaign, let him be serious and not engage in some folly. And certainly not at the expense of our integrity.

A Senate resolution will do nothing to even just compel China to pause and ponder on its actions. If an international arbitral court cannot even force China to recognize its rulings, what can a resolution by the senate of a third-world country do other than give a fleeting focus on the resolution's author, which is useless anyway since there is no way Lacson can win the presidency.

There are those who keep saying we should at least do something to protect our territorial sovereignty against the depredations of China. These people have been brainwashed by the political opposition into thinking our territorial sovereignty is under assault. It is not. It is our sovereign rights, such as to our exclusive economic zone that China is constantly testing us.

If China annexes Palawan, then that is an assault on our territorial sovereignty. And maybe, just maybe, the United States might come to our aid based on a Cold War mutual defense treaty with our country. But that is just a maybe. The United States has not fought a shooting war with a superpower in the nuclear age and might be reluctant to, for obvious reasons.

Jawing and eyeballing is the preferred mode of confrontation among nuclear superpowers. Nuclear superpower neighbors China and India prefer fistfights in the rarefied air of their mountain outposts, where any strenuous activity can easily tire protagonists. Of course these all involve calculated risks that can quickly escalate at the slightest mistake. But better this than a shooting war.

In a shooting war with China, we will last no longer than seven hours and 45 minutes. And we will lose more territory than what China is prepared to take from our rocky outcrops in the South China Sea. In terms of human life, one Filipino is one too many in a conflict that did not have to escalate had it not been for the agitators in our midst who think only of their own interests.

And we will be going it alone with China. The United States is not going to shed the blood of an American soldier. Its treaty obligations only require it to come to our aid. It does not mean it will actually get involved physically. At best it will just provide material, logistical, and intelligence support. But there will be no American boots on the ground. Ano kamo, sinuswerte?

Nobody wants to be kicked around. But until we are at par with China, or attain enough strength to make China think twice before bullying us, then it is just our unfortunate lot to be in a situation like this. Life is indeed unfair. The best option is still to get on China's good side. It is not perfect, it is not ideal, but it cuts our losses and buys us time. That is the long and short of it. Prudence dictates we accept the reality of our unpalatable situation.

Our bravado only makes as angrier. We delude ourselves needlessly. We slice a portion of the South China Sea and name it West Philippine Sea to fed our egos and soothe our wounded pride. But we know there is no such sea. It is not up to us to undertake such naming. As to the arbitral ruling, do not believe the lie. All it does is invalidate China's nine-dash line, which is invalid to begin with. It recognizes no territorial claim. You can look it up.