Inquirer, Apr. 4, 2019, Intimidating Swarm.pdf

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TsuRsDAY / A?RIL 4, 2019

www.ixputnrnNnt

swarm o news that a swarm of more than 600 chinese vessels has been observed massing up since January near Pag-asa Istand. Malacanang first hedged as usuat. savins it needed to verify the report, then'cla--imed the administradon had actually filed a diplomatic protest with Beiiins over the matter. No, not one wee

"salvo of diplomatic noteS," according to Foreign Secretary I a Teodoro Locsin )r. litrue' tlnat would be,-for once' administratioi' this from tf spine altpf"V vv"i."*" iui. ot"t."a ott".o.ial media by citizens to disclose ,tt" iotrt"ntt of the diplomatic Protest, Locsin's and .L.* aa"oot "" *"s: 'You have myword for it'doubt it'"i i. afvou get. Manigas na kayo na9 da

-u-ol Uut a

pal" (Drop dead, You doubters.)

'

public has every reason to doubl Filioinos have ieard this once before, from the same Jfiice. tn June uora' fending off accusations that the Duterte ;dministration's responses to provocation

nut

tie

prouoc"tiott from Chii! hat teen routinely

"fie, weah then Foreign

Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said ihe oepartment of Foreign Affairs (DFA) had' in tact, filed^ "several dozens, maybe 5o, tool' diplo-

'matic protests against China over the past two vearsjso many tltat "l'll have to count it "

Either Cavetano was lying outright" or he gave up counting, beiause it s been five months since he hft the DF,{to run for representative of Taguig, and n 'ir: ther hair nor hide of those "several dozens" of protesis asainst Beiiins has seen the light of day' Not once has ttl met tion"J*t"m in his campaign speeches, either, which means this inveterate politician doeut't wen . see what would have amounted to a demonstation of

patriotism and denance against China under Ns watch as an achievement to crow aboul

There is, at any rate, another way to test whether the latest protes* have indeed been filed, or heard in Beiiing with any serious consideration: ifthe Chin"r" !oi".tt-"ttt aicedes to the Duterte administratio-n's presumed demand for its "maritime mili-

'the

Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines calls tfie Chinese vessels circling Pag-asa Island-to back off and leave the

tia"-as

area. tJ anyone holding his or her ttreath that China woutd sucl'denly become that accommodating?

why-should it bother, when no ..gui less than the ^. PhiLippines' presidential spokespeEon has assumed

,."1 d r."tgqy",g China,s aggressive actions? *: In a rv ntervieq Salv_ador panelo

saia tne pfrifippines would "ask politely, why these Chinese u"r.Ai"u".. waTnll_lg Pag-asa lsland The[ in a Mala.aiang bd;]: lrl& he downplayed the mafter atogetfrer. Oily zZi chinese.ships are there, not 6oo, he slid, tri-Jv s.

-a not circling pag_asa, they are merely statio*Dr;i,fi in Panelo's mind. makes a whale of a aW".Lo.u, ;fi uley iue clr. d[rg, they are planning something. But, if you are only stationary, maybe you are just waiching_,j somebody please tell panelo that _-. tho]se been ,,watching" since zorl that's :Tp._ when

"il

*:*o F*

e.re.iano ana sen antonit irir_ the alarm that an UnUsUal number

Y:g-9'o.*"0.!ar7 v flrst farsed

rdr rcs r

vessels had been sighted.*ri,re;;; :j-9$j." sandbars_around pag_asa Islandfnu ru-ift-*"ni and

Ajejano and Triltanes were tagged..r j llgj""d:g b{.1/allcananC, despite satellite image;;:i";";; laT by the Washington_based

f."d;;:

Asia Maritime cy initiative (Arnti) confirming the repo.f In

i"U*_

H;H""1fi"t1"Tf,iiil'*,:".f, f :"#,xt1t

ur rd6-.rsd

rsrano, :ls part of Beiiing,s so-cailed cab_ blqe strlleSy, where it surrounds -u .ontur,uJ il" with muitiple layers of maridme vessels, from nsning boats to Coast Guard and Army vessels, to d"nt;;: cess to and eshblish firm control over the area lake note: pag_asa Island isfiot Evea a contest.ed, area, bur indubitably phitippine turritory Kliyq* town ln palarian and home iiis to a lliL:_f mlrtar!'. detachment and a village of abouii".Er]

rpinos. What the Chinese

maritiie militia seemsup to intimidate visitors otr the irei L?,.tn "ft.jt i: Just as.th€-philippine military is underta*ing lffi :verdue upgrade work on the facilities in p;;_;;"a inctuding^a

.

b.eachingramp and an air strip. ro much tor the ,,friendly', relations this adminis_

tr"[T"ffi]]: f:[:]!fi .?"iJtr';:xxTir3fi this time. wiI that^,,salvo i,r

:":n notes"Jrd: make

a

differencea n"c"use if nott

and those Chinese vessels

Ap[."i.

ing-hffiii

,"_"i" tfr.u"ut"ffi] *iq9 p"C-asa then the message is likewjse Tljid dear flom Beij[€ to the philippine been el,'tra obsequious to

government

that,s it ,,lZanrgi kan .;'-p"J? , O