China in the Spratlys: Let's strengthen the AFP

The buzzing of our OV-10 Broncos near the Spratlys isn’t the first ugly incident between the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China. But it is more obvious to us that this recent incident was the offshoot of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino’s being invited by the US government on board the USS Carl Vinson last week. But since there’s a sort of news blackout on the talks between the Philippines and visiting Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Liang Guanglie, then we’re at a loss on what to make of that closed door meeting. I certainly hope that it was fruitful for both nations.

But the photos splashed in the front page of The Philippine STAR last Tuesday tells us the real intention of China in the Spratlys, to make it a military outpost. But since they are fixed platforms jutting out to sea, there is no question that they make an easy target for our naval vessels or aircraft. Alas, we don’t have the air assets to “neutralize” these illegal Chinese outposts. This is why we should strengthen the capability of our AFP. I say that they are illegal because those who are claiming the Spratlys are not supposed to plant their flags anywhere there until this border dispute is over and done with. Meanwhile, let’s focus on improving our Air Force and Navy.

This only proves that China has all the intention to claim the Spratlys as a part of China. But what about our own claim? The Philippines is without any doubt the closest group of islands in the Spratlys and therefore has more rights to the Spratlys than all the other nations claiming them. But then what can a poor Philippines do when we do not even have military capability to defend our shores? Thanks to our Congressmen, we spend too much time on such nonsense like the Reproductive Health (RH) bill in order to make the pharmaceuticals richer, but no one is discussing the security of our nation.

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Talking about the RH bill, the numerous articles we presented about the RH bill has gotten so many responses in my email inbox. I answered all the emails that I got, including those nasty ones, which I won’t reprint as they use foul language which I abhor. Anyway, allow me to reprint a few of these letters from our readers.

“Dear Bobit, when RH bill was in the early stage, I was already in favor of the idea believing it as the solution to our perennial poverty problem. I was a strong follower of said bill even when the “anti” and the “pro” came into existence presenting their respective views to the point of becoming a heated argument. However, when the sponsors of the bill and their cohorts in Congress are trying to move heaven and earth to push the approval of such bill and considering that we are sick with a cancer of corruption, I began to suspect and doubt of a hidden agenda.

At last my suspicion and doubt was answered by your column that showed the statistical findings contributed by one of your readers. It is worth reprinting to spread the good news to all corners of the Philippines with copy to CBCP. – Joe Nacilla, Las Piñas City”

Here’s an e-mailed letter coming from the Catholic silent majority.

“Dear Mr. Avila, It is good to know that you are in the anti-RH side despite the lie and the flair that most Filipinos favor the passing of the bill. Your columns are informative and very timely, specially befitting for the young adults and the teenagers of our country. Well I do hope most of them have the chance of reading your articles. We are Catholics first, before being a Filipino. God bless our dear country. To Jesus through Mary”.

Finally, here’s a letter from Maricris Crisostomo. “Dear Sir, Thank you so much for your article today and all your articles in the past opposing consistently and repeatedly the RH bill and educating the readers with clarity. It is only through your column and those of Mr. Pascual and Atty. Sison that intelligent opposition to RH bill fortunately get published because ordinary mortals like us do not get access at all while those who are more prominent who are opposing the RH bill do not necessarily get enough or fair mileage in media except when it is something that make them look like fools. We thank God for people like you. Wee have been following your articles.

Your article today covering the economics was very particularly striking because this is exactly what a lot of us were looking for. I hope you could keep repeating it in your succeeding articles. I would like to request if we could publish your article in our website www.alfi.org.ph (Alliance for Family Foundation, Inc). We will put it as top article repeatedly. Could you also allow us to regularly publish in our website articles from your column so that I won’t need to bother you to ask permission for every article? We will clearly put the credits. More power to you Sir! And we will pray for your efforts on this. Please do not stop! Sincerely, Maricris Crisostomo, 4 Cebu St., Alabang Hills Village, Muntinlupa.”

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For email responses to this article, write to [email protected] or [email protected]. His columns can be accessed through www.philstar.com.