‘Somos o no somos?’

The world will never forget September 11, 2001, when the World Trade Center fell apart as a jet crashed through the Twin Towers building. Less than 20 minutes later, a second plane crashed through the other tower, leaving the whole world stunned especially with the tragic event shown live on CNN. About an hour later, another aircraft hit the Pentagon, and a fourth one crashed on a field in Pennsylvania. It was clear the United States was under attack – and nobody could believe it. Governments allied with the US – including ours – immediately reacted, with then President Gloria Arroyo dispatching additional troops to secure the US Embassy compound. 

When the dust settled and it became apparent that terrorists were responsible for the attack – then US president George W. Bush in his speech before the joint session of the US Congress delivered his now famous “somos o no somos” challenge when he declared:  “Either you are with us or against us.”

It was the beginning of a global war against terrorism, with the US president calling on every freedom-loving nation to band together and fight those who would sow violence and threaten the very essence of democracy and peace everywhere. The Philippines did not hesitate to answer the call of the US, sending a contingent – no matter how small – to Iraq as part of the coalition of willing states to disarm Saddam Hussein. As it was during World War II, the Philippines and the US were together in the fight to uphold freedom.

Today, we are faced with a serious growing aggression of a giant neighbor that for all intents and purposes, we don’t really want to be at odds with. The fact is, the Philippines wants to grow the relationship that it formally established with China in June 1975 after the successful conduct of what has become known as “basketball diplomacy” in the winter of 1974 especially since there is a large number of Filipino-Chinese in the country, many of them having businesses both in the Philippines and China.

However, the tension regarding disputed maritime territories in the West Philippine Sea continues, with indications that there will be no letup from either side. The Philippines may be small, with its military capability no match for the might of China’s People’s Liberation Army forces estimated at 2.2 million, but it is clear we cannot be cowed into abandoning what we truly believe is a rightful claim to the disputed territories.

Despite China’s threats, the Philippines has elevated its protest before the UN International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea, showing its willingness to settle the dispute through international arbitration. China is claiming almost the entire China Sea – something that definitely does not sit well with the other claimant nations. Fortunately, many countries agree with our quest for a peaceful resolution through international arbitration. Nations like Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and Singapore have joined us. Singapore President Tony Tan Keng Yam was in Manila precisely to emphasize defense and security cooperation between our countries. Our friend Singaporean Ambassador VP Hirubalan told me we should all be very pleased with the outcome of the visit.

I totally disagree with former Senator Leticia Shahani’s comments where she paints such a forlorn and desolate picture of our situation, saying we are all alone in our fight to uphold our sovereignty – and that the United States will not come to our aid. Actually many nations particularly the United States are already “with us and not against us” in our quest for a just resolution. Very clearly the US stated in no uncertain terms its position when East Asian Affairs Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel said the other day, “There should be no doubt about the resolve of the United States. We stand by our allies and we stand by our commitments.” 

In the latest incident where a Chinese warship tried to stop our vessels from bringing supplies to Ayungin Shoal, we were lucky the smaller Philippine vessel knew how to maneuver to shallow waters where the bigger Chinese ship could not follow at risk of running aground. If the bullying escalates to the point of jeopardizing peace and security balance in the region – it is clear the whole world, more so affected nations in the Asia-Pacific region – will not just sit down and accept the unreasonable actions of China.

While no one argues that we should try to rely on our own resources, we must also remember that what happens to a small nation like ours can create a “ripple effect” that will impact many other nations in more ways than one. To paraphrase the speech of former US president George Bush on that fateful day that we have come to know as 9/11: This is not just our fight. This is the world’s fight. What is at stake is not just our territorial integrity. This is the fight of every peace-loving nation that believes in civility, progress and pluralism, respect and most of all, freedom.

When US President Barack Obama visits Manila later this month, President Aquino should clearly reiterate our position over China’s aggression and the need to work together to maintain peace and security in the region. It is indeed reassuring to hear that they will stand by their commitments, just as we are showing our commitment by opening up our bases and allowing the increased rotational presence of US troops.

When all is said and done, the Philippines must ask the same thing George Bush asked of all nations who desire peace in this part of the world: Are you with us, or are you against us?

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