Intrusion, no question about it!

I really have to say this. The nerve of two Chinese officials asking, probably demanding even, the release of the crew of the fishing vessel that ran aground on Tubbataha Reef! How many laws of the land have they broken, not to mention entering our territory without permission, tantamount to an intrusion, to poach the riches of the reef? And they even tried to bribe the arresting rangers with the amount of $2400 or about one hundred thousand pesos!

The members of the crew have already been charged with various offenses. Their vessel is still on top of the reef. If found guilty, they face fines and even imprisonment. That's very civil, and fair. What if fishermen from the country entered Hong Kong Bay and started fishing? Or closer to the mainland? Would they get the same treatment as we gave their poachers? Or would they be shot on sight? I think the latter considering the arrogance that flows in that country!

These fishermen have the gall to enter deep into territorial waters with the sole purpose of poaching. They have no business whatsoever entering our waters, at a time when tensions are already high due to disputes on territorial waters. And they seem to have come prepared for the contingency of being caught. They already have the money to bribe their way out! Why do fishermen need US dollars in the middle of the ocean? Were they planning to drop by and go shopping somewhere? The amount is even suspect. One hundred thousand pesos does sound like a lot for a Filipino, or that's what they think anyway. It also proves that this intrusion has happened several times before. It also proves that some personnel have taken the bribes and let them go. Well not during this administration!

Were the Chinese officials expecting the authorities to just hand over the intruders to them, along with their vessel, just because? No apology, no nothing? And what about the damage to the reef, which entails a fine? That's how China sees the Philippines. That we are pushovers who just cannot stand up to the Chinese. It's a good thing the park rangers were men of honor and did not take the bribe, instead arresting them. Or else the Chinese would be laughing their heads off by now!

Our waters, not just Tubbataha Reef, have to be guarded more closely than what is being done right now. Who knows just how many poachers have intruded and plundered our marine treasures in the past? How many have been set free because they accepted the bribes. More manpower and equipment to guard our waters must be deployed to prevent thieves like these from ever coming into the country!

Who knows? Maybe Chinese submarines are already patrolling our waters, and we can't do a single thing about it!