China shuns diplomatic solution on shoal dispute

Enclosed the red line are the disputed areas in the South China Sea

How else would one interpret the latest Chinese declaration over the highly disputed Scarborough Shoal or Panatag Shoal or what Beijing calls Huangyan Island, when this economic giant and military bully ignores the sovereign rights of a small, struggling, nation and claims the whole South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) and what is underneath it as its territory by virtue of historical grounds and that it won’t never go to court to settle the matter?

A declaration of hostilities, sort of, isn’t it?

Is this the way to settle territorial disputes in the 21^st century by intimidation, provocation and military muscle flexing instead of using diplomatic approach as the appropriate and rational way of settling issues that has to do with sovereign rights?

The court referred to here is the International Tribunal on the Law of the Seas (ITLOS) in Hamburg, Germany, where the country feels would be the real arbiter for such a contentious issue.

The Philippines insists that the shoal belongs to the country simply because of its extreme proximity to Zambales, which is 220 km only, compared to 840 km from the nearest coast of China in Hainan province.

Yet, China wants that the Philippines should “fully respect China’s sovereignty” and with a threatening tone even said that the Philippine government must “commit to the consensus we reached on settling the incident through friendly diplomatic consultations, and not to complicate or aggravate this incident so that peace and stability in that area can be reached.”

Is this saying that China is giving the Philippines an ultimatum?

If China has historical proof to show that the contested shoal is part of their territory, then why can’t they agree to show it to the whole world or bring it to the ITLOS? Why swiftly reject the proposal of the Philippine government that the dispute be resolved by the UN-backed ITLOS?

On the other hand, what the Philippines will bring to the ITLOS, with or without Chinese representatives, are old maps of the ‘Archipelago Filipino’ dating back to Spanish colonial times showing that “Bajo Scarburo,” the shoal now called Panatag by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), is a constituent part of Sambalez (now Zambales province).

Senator Edgardo J. Angara, who has a collection of ancient maps of the country said that the maps would easily disprove the territorial claim of China to the shoal and its surrounding waters, which in the first place do not show any historical or legal grounds under the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (Unclos).

“It’s clear that Scarborough Shoal is part of our cartography during the Spanish colonial times,” he said. “We have maps (reproduced) from the original, which was made in 1734. During that time, Scarborough is already part of the Philippines.”

An 1875 map was the “product of the most comprehensive mapping and charting work in the Philippines lasting more than 20 years (1849-1870).”

Angara said the original maps were deposited at Spain’s Museo Naval de Madrid.

The question now is: If this testament to our ownership of the shoal is not honored by China, what will stop them from disembarking on our territory and stripping us of our dignity?

Let us be pragmatic about it. We need help. We can’t stand on our own. We need the support of the world community before this part of the world becomes a flashpoint.

De Lima should keep her silence

 

Sec. de Lima with IIRC members

Now that the Hong Kong (HK) jury has released its own findings on the bungled police rescue operation that resulted in the death of eight of their nationals during the August 23, 2010 hostage taking incident at the Rizal Park in Manila, the same should be received by the Philippine government, including Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, as a report of truth and closure to the unfortunate incident.

Any perceived difference between the HK report and the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) findings conducted by de Lima should be keep under wraps and not made public.

We have antagonized enough the HK government with our inadequacies and this we could not deny

Let us not further put a breach in our relationship by commenting about their report. It will only lead us to a more disadvantageous position.

The Philippines needs HK more than HK needs us. But, that is neither here nor there.

Let us not be offended if the HK report is more comprehensive than what the IIRC could come out.

I, for one, found the summary of their findings objective, truthful, enlightening and helpful for our government authorities, which is:

-          That the Filipino authorities did not meet the hostage-takers demands quickly enough.

-          That the bungled rescue operations delayed medical treatment for two victims who might have been saved.

-          That Filipino officials aggravated negotiations by failing to block media coverage of the arrest of the gunman’s brother, which  outraged the suspect.

The live TV coverage on the whole episode which was seen by the whole world confirms all these.

Miriam to the rescue

Many may frown at Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s persona, but if there is anything the feisty senator has, it is the guts (the balls, if you may) to articulate anything in defense of our country and sensibilities of its people.

The more that Miriam’s reaction got fired up when Hong Kong’s chief executive Donald Tsang reportedly wrote an “insulting letter” to President Benigno Aquino in the aftermath of the failed rescue attempt of a busload of Hong Kong tourists held hostage by a disgruntled police officer.

Frantically trying to get hold of PNoy at the height of the crisis, in his capacity as China’s lackey in Hong Kong, may have been a presumptuous action showing “discourtesy” on Tsang’s part, according to Santiago.

Writing an “insulting letter,” if true, alluding to the bloody hostage crisis afterward, is nothing but a show of contemptuous conceitedness.

“Let me educate the HK legislature. They don’t have legal personality… no legal effect even in their own legal jurisdiction. Why exacerbate… by waving the flag when it is not necessary,” Miriam said.

“Insulting the head of state is like insulting the entire nation,” the Senator further added.

It was just as well that President Aquino decided against answering the, alleged, “insulting  letter.”

The Philippine government has already apologized for the unfortunate incident that cost the lives of eight Hong Kong nationals and the gunman himself. It was no doubt a sincere apology coming from the heart and a promise that it should never happen again to them or to anybody else.

Hong Kong must be reminded to be broad-minded. Nobody in his right mind would have wanted the hostage crisis to end in carnage. But, unfortunate events do happen and we learn from it and so, too, the whole world watching can gain more knowledge from preventing the occurrence of a fateful event.

What we should be objectively critical about instead are countries that purposely show a blatant disrespect and disregard for human rights, calculatingly condoning persecution, hunger and death to happen.

It’s our incompetence, stupid!

The Philippine National Police (PNP) confidently announced in bold headlines that no hostage was killed by the police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team.

“With a degree of certainty, we can say that the victims were shot by Rolando Mendoza,” Cruz told a media briefing.

Big deal! So what?

Is the finding going to negate the fact that our SWAT team bungled when they tried to rescue the busload of Hong Kong tourists held hostage by the crazed dismissed police senior inspector Rolando Mendoza that resulted in the death of eight Chinese nationals and the hijacker himself?

Is the pronouncement made by PNP spokesman Senior Supt. Agrimero Cruz Jr. going to invalidate the incompetency shown by our SWAT team in the hostage drama which was played out on television screens all over the world?

Is it going to sooth the anger of the Hong Kong Chinese nationals towards the Philippine government for mishandling the crisis and erase the embarrassment it has sadly cost us?

Is it going to mitigate the ire of the Hong Kong residents towards Filipinos in their country, especially the striving domestic helpers, whose fault is simply because of their citizenship?

The damage has been done.

The truth that our SWAT team was ill-trained, ill-equipped and therefore incompetent, inefficient and ineffectual was revealed during the hostage drama.

It was tragically clumsy at best and a comical assault at worst.

From the question on was calling the shots, the failed negotiations, the choose of assault weapons, the useless sledgehammer, the continuing TV coverage of the incident inside the bus, the forced apprehension of the distraught gunman’s bother, the lack of will to take out a fellow police officer when their was a chance to get him – all these, and many more police errors, contributed to the bloody aftermath.

There is really nothing that the Philippine government can do but admit our inadequacies in solving favorably the hostage crisis.

Let us swallow our pride, but assure the whole world that we have learned our lesson, that, henceforth, we shall be having the best training, the appropriate weapons and equipment, the apt negotiators, and the finest SWAT team with the right plan of action in controlling the situation.

Similar shameful event shall never happen again.

Time for Lacson to come out and defend self

It has been quite sometime now that fugitive Sen. Panfilo Lacson fled the country and nobody knows his whereabouts.

Neither the NBI nor the Interpol, whose help has been sought by the Philippine government in tracking down Lacson, has succeeded in trapping him down.

Either Lacson has the mastery of eluding arrest or not much effort has really been exerted in finding him.

Whatever the reasons, the realities remain that it do not speak well of Lacson.

Lacson has not only betrayed the trust and the high expectations that he will be a true public servant of the people and for the people when he was voted senator of the realm, but has shown cowardice in the face of personal life trials and political contretemps.

It has been his toughness and fortitude that brought him to the limelight, once, as the highest ranking officer of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and as a senator, after.

Lacson’s ardor, his being outspoken coupled with his acerbic tongue especially towards his political foes, are his traits that did not bode well for him as a crusading politician.

These are not ordinary politicians that he got entangled with. This is the First Family and he was, specifically, targeting and implicating First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo in several of his exposes.

It must be remembered that Lacson fled the country shortly before he was charged as a principal suspect in the murders of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito.

Lacson was afraid that this case will also be used and exploited for political vendetta by the powerful and influential Arroyos.

But, the Arroyos will no longer be in the seat of power and the new and, perhaps, friendly administration of incoming president Benigno ‘Noynoy” Aquino III might just grant him a fair trial for all the charges heaped against him.

Indeed, this is an opportune time for the hunted Lacson to surface.

We would like to see Lacson show his spunk once more and defend and free himself from the gallows of conviction and ignominy under a fair judicial system this time.

Government should help OFWs in distress instantly

It bothers me no end every time I read about oversea Filipino workers (OFW) who are in distress, yet help is being held hostage by our own government.

Recently an organization of migrant workers in the Middle East said that on a daily basis, they receive an average of three to five cases of distressed OFWs from various countries in the region.

What is appalling is that Filipino labor and welfare officers in the Middle East appear to be sleeping on the numerous cases of distress OFWs.

“Complaints from distressed OFWs and their plea for assistance just fall on deaf ears of Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) officials in the Eastern region despite numerous calls and emails for their appropriate action,” the group said.

I get distressed myself when I read about lowly Filipinos continuously leaving and trying their luck in foreign lands, uncertain about their fate, yet trusting in God that their sacrifice will pay off someday when they could have their own lot where they could build their own house and have all their children go to school.

But, there is totally nothing that I can do. I am just one of the over 90 million Filipinos belonging to a government that has shown nothing but ineptitude all these times in making these nation move forward, in lifting the people from the morass of poverty and deprivation, in providing jobs to the citizenry and in making sure that we, as a nation and people, are respected.

Yet, it mortifies me to think that instead of government using its tools and resources to strengthen the financial and economic condition of this country, the task now is left in the hands of the OFWs to ensure that the economy of this nation won’t collapse.

I am obviously referring to the remittances by our OFW workers.

Their remittances are what made them the country’s modern day heroes.

I am embarrassed at how government is taking for granted the OFWs’ patriotic fervor.

I am confounded at the way government is despicably repaying the OFWs heroism.

Unless and until government can offer the millions of striving, common “tao” working abroad a decent job here, government should assist the distressed OFWs the instant the receive the complaint and treat them with the dignity they deserve.

Relocation of waterway settlers alone won’t save us from floods and landslides (or Half-cocked political will won’t solve the nation’s ills)

It is very heartening and alleviating to read in the news that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has decided to implement the forced relocation of thousands of families living on riverbanks and other high-risk areas in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

It is even more inspiring and humbling that madam President is implementing this difficult action even at the risk of losing the political support of local government officials and their constituencies especially with the onset of elections in 2010.

The decision of President Arroyo to make the nation’s capital safer from natural calamities like those brought by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng that resulted to fear, chaos, death, destruction, displacement and total misery suffered and endured by many, is indeed very commendable.

While this may be an exercise of political will, still it is a political action that is half-cocked.

Presidential spokesman Cerge Remonde wants us to believe that this particular political will of forcefully removing and relocating the squatters is the holy grail that will solve the nation’s drainage problem. Surely, this alone won’t do it.

It needs more than just the clearing of illegal riverbank settlers by President Arroyo to solve the problems contributory to flooding and landslides.

There is a dire need to decongest the big cities and generate employment in the provinces and municipalities. Reverse migration is a necessity.

Illegal logging has to be stumped completely and perpetrators prosecuted. Slash-and-burn should be addressed properly. There should be no compromises in preserving the trees in the forest.

Land use for settlement, development for industrial purposes and roadways has to be strictly regulated. Garbage dump sites have to be planned ahead of time.

Our weather tracking agency should be well updated in instruments and equipment. Competent people should be running the weather bureau.

Experts should be assigned to inspect thoroughly status of our dams and monitor closely its water releasing procedures especially when bad weather is being forecasted.

Natural water channels has to be dredged again to clean it of garbage and silt that has been deposited all these years making the passage constricted and shallow. It should not be trampled upon. It should be left where it has always been.

But, the most important political will to be acted upon by government and our political leaders is for this country to have a manageable population. For a country of scattered islands inhabited by mostly poor people, having a population of over 90 million and still growing is unproductive. The surging population of the country has resulted to more poor people. Millions of Filipinos suffer from poverty due to large and unplanned families. Unless we give priority to the problem of balooning population, every effort to counter poverty would be pointless

It is, therefore, of paramount importance that the Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008 should be approved and implemented.

Unless political leaders take the risk of incurring the ire of the Catholic Church hierarchy and take the chances of losing the mighty catholic votes during elections, by considering more the welfare of the people rather than their own personal interests, then, forever, we will continue struggling and suffering the ignominious fate of being an impoverished nation.

WE ARE THE PROBLEM

(Note: This article has been posted first in my About page. I have decided to post it in my regular blog ,as well, so I could tag and categorize it. My objective is for more  people to  read it from different tags and categories and for them to understand that it is not so much the global warming- as the pundits want us to believe- that is causing havoc to the Philippines, as it is us, our attitude and character as people, who are much to be blamed.- Quierosaber)

The continuous heartrending news appearing on TV about the rain, flood and landslide victims are so emotionally draining that, perhaps, one is justified in questioning God, “Why?”

I think, however, it is not for us to question God. But, surely, it is for us to question ourselves: What is wrong with us? What have we done?

Before we attempt to answer the questions we are asking ourselves, let us try first to find an answer to this general question: Is global warming occurring?

The reason why we have to find an answer to this general question first is because almost everybody has been attributing these catastrophic events happening to the country to global warming.

Experts say there is no evidence, whatsoever, to support claims of global warming.  They say anyone who tells you that scientific research shows warming trends – be they teachers, news casters, Congressmen, Senators, Vice Presidents or Presidents – is wrong. There is no global warming.

On the contrary, scientific research through U.S. Government satellite and balloon measurements shows that the temperature is actually cooling – very slightly – .037 degrees Celsius.

Scientists say changes in global temperatures are natural. There is no proof that temperature is affected by anything that man has done.

In fact, they say, that recent severe weather has been directly attributed to a natural phenomenon that occurs every so often called El Nino. It causes ocean temperatures to rise as tropical trade winds actually reverse for a time.

The resulting temperature changes cause severe storms, flooding and even draught on every continent on earth.

Scientists claim it’s completely natural. El Nino has been wreaking its havoc across the globe since long before man appeared.

What do experts say about the reports that the polar ice cap is melting?

Well, yes it is, they say. In fact, it has been for about a million years or so. “We are at the end of the ice age in which ice covered most of North American and Northern Europe.”

The truth is, someday humans may be able to take tropical vacations at the North Pole – and it will be perfectly natural.

If it is natural, why then is the world being flooded with the dire predictions of global warming?

Is global warming a hoax?  This is still being debated until now and only time will tell if it is.

So, if the heavy rains, flash floods and landslides are not resultant of global warming, but a continuing cycle of climate change in this country, why is it so devastating and catastrophic now?

What we see around us may start answering the questions we are asking ourselves.

What is the country’s population now? What is the poverty level of this country? How is government protecting the forests from illegal logging? What is the government’s plan for the poor families living in natural channels that allow water to flow to the sea? What is government doing in regulating land use for residential settlements and commercial purposes? What is government doing in curbing population explosion? Why does government allow the Catholic Church to meddle in state affairs? What have we, collectively, done to the environment? Why do we keep on supporting people to run the government that have nothing but greed and personal welfare in mind alone? Why do we always have to vote for the wrong public servant, putting him or her in the wrong place every time?

Think about all these questions because in reality we, ourselves, have only to be blame.

It is about time we rise above ourselves and do well our duty of cooperating and following the laws of the land. It is only in doing these that we may be able to hold the politicians and the high ranking members of the Catholic Church hierarchy accountable for their actions.

The separation of State and Church must be respected. We have enough measures to protect the environment, the country and its people. What is simply needed is for government to muster enough courage to implement the laws strictly no matter who gets hurt.