CHICAGO — Last July 24, Chicago’s US Pinoys for Good Governance joined their USPGG’s worldwide mounted demonstrations and rallies in front of China’s embassies and consulates to protest China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea pertaining to the ownership of the Spratlys Island, which China stands firm as belonging to China! The Filipino American group headed by Yoly and Bart Tubalinal marched down the streets of La Salle, Clark and Erie, within the parameters of the Chines Consulate at 100 Erie Street, chanting and carrying screaming placards saying: “Stand Up to China’s Bullying!”; “Stop Feeding the Dragon: Boycott China’s goods!”; “Protect Philippine Territories from China’s Aggression,” and more.
China claims to have discovered the islands in the Han Dynasty in 2 BC. Historical reports say: “the Philippines base their claims of sovereignty over the Spratlys on the issues of Res nullius and geography. The Philippines contend their claim was Res nullius as there was no effective sovereignty over the islands until the 1930s when France and then Japan acquired the islands. When Japan renounced their sovereignty over the islands according to the San Francisco Treaty, there was a relinquishment of the right to the islands without any special beneficiary. Therefore, argue the Philippines, the islands became Res nullius and available for annexation.”
In 1956, a private Filipino citizen, Tomas Cloma, unilaterally declared a state on 53 features in the South China Sea, calling it “Freedomland”. As the Republic of China moved to occupy the main island in response, Cloma sold his claim to the Philippine government, which annexed (de jure) the islands in 1978, calling them Kalayaan. On June 11, 1978, President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines issued Presidential decree No. 1596, declaring the Spratly Islands (referred to therein as the Kalayaan Island Group) as Philippine territory.”
More importantly, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, also states: “The Disputed Spratlys is within the Philippine Waters. The Philippines is the legal owner of the islands in the Spratlys as it is within 200 Nautical Mile Exclusive Zone.”
“The islands are also strategically located in the sea lanes for commerce and transport in the South China Sea which is very close to the Palawan Province of the Philippines with a distant less than 200 nautical miles; a bases that Philippines has a legal ground that those islands are part of the Philippines.”
According to financial geniuses, what really stir up wealthy China to claim ownership of the Spratlys is the much-talked about “large deposits of oil, gas, hydrocarbon and mineral resources” in the 26 islands.
The sentiments and arguments of the US Pinoys for Good Governance is aptly expressed in its press release as follows:
“July 24 marks the first anniversary of China’s creation of the Sansha prefecture to ‘oversee and administer’ one million square miles of the South China Sea, over which China asserts indisputable sovereignty. This claim is based on the Nine-Dash-Line map that was originally promulgated as the ‘Eleven-Dash-Line’ map by the Kuomintang in 1947 and modified by the Communists in 1949.
In October 2012, Beijing vested Sansha with the police authority, effective January 1, 2013, ‘to board, seize and expel foreign ships’ within a vast jurisdiction that encompasses islands and reefs in the West Philippine Sea.
Since Sansha’s formation, China has increased its provocative moves against the Philippines, including the occupation of the Scarborough Shoal (115 miles from Zambales province) by up to 90 Chinese ships, which barred Filipino fishers from their ancestral fishing grounds, and an increased Chinese military presence at Ayungin Reef (105 miles from Palawan province).
This ‘salami slicing’ of Philippine territory was described by Major General Zhang Zhaozhong on Beijing TV as part of China’s’cabbage strategy’, the thrust of which is to surround Philippine territories with a massive Chinese naval presence to starve Filipino detachments and prevent reinforcements from reaching them.
China insists that according to its ‘Nine-Dash-Line’ map, it is the Philippines which is ‘illegally occupying’ the Ayungin Reef, considered the gateway to the Recto Bank, located just 85 miles from Palawan, which the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) believes may contain as much as 213 billion barrels of oil and 2 quadrillion cubic feet of natural gas.
China asserts that the Philippines is not entitled to its 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone boundaries under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea because, in China’s view, the boundaries of all countries extend just 12 nautical miles from their coasts. If allowed to stand, China’s Nine-Dash-Line claim will go down as the most brazen maritime territorial grab in history.
China’s behavior in the West Philippine Sea dispute is not that of a state rectifying borders violated by colonial rule as China did in dismantling the Manchukuo prefecture and reclaiming Manchuria after the Second World War. It is instead the arrogant behavior of an imperial state, imitating the expansionist conduct of the western powers it condemned.
The international community stands behind the Philippine government’s efforts to defend its interests in the West Philippine Sea. Standing squarely behind the government are the 90 million people in the Philippines and the 12 million Filipinos in the global Diaspora, all resolving that their Motherland will not be bullied into submission by China.”
The patriotic sentiments of the US Pinoys for Good Governance whose members are mostly naturalized American citizens, is indeed, very touching. The question is: are the current Philippine government elected officials share the same sentiment and patriotism? I mean, heartfelt patriotism on behalf of Mother Philippines and more importantly one behalf of the millions of Juan de la Cruzes?
Watching the current political drama and election results in the Philippines nowadays, is worse than watching a typical soap opera, except that today’s elections are literally, played by a bunch of Philippine actors, drama queens and kings, not just acting or role-playing but playing LIVE the Real Thing, as the PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS! Most of them, really do not care about their EDUCATIONAL qualifications and experience to LEAD!
In the early ‘70s before the late President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law in September, 1972, the former Philippine Free Press, then, the “bible” of Philippine journalism, published a very critical article on the Marcos’ corruption titled: “Quo Vadis, Philippines?”
Today is 2013. The Filipinos need not ask “Quo Vadis Philippines”. All the answers are blowing in the wind. Favorably heading towards their elected officials who are holding the money bags! While the Juan de la Cruzes live in poverty and want.
Then, the so-called “freedom-loving Filipinos” detested Ferdinand Marcos’ martial rules and his alleged corruption which took him 20 years to accomplish, if ever. Today, media critics observe that “some elected politicians allegedly accomplish Marcos alleged 20-year corruption within one year after their elections to office!
No pun or comparison intended. What the Philippines need now is one President as brilliant as Ferdinand Edralin Marcos! He was the only Filipino president who spoke before the Hall of America’s lawmakers. Like the famous American financial brainer Charles Schwab whom every moneyed Americans listens to, then — when Marcos spoke, every American legislators listened.
One more thing: Today, the Philippines need more educated voters who can detect the brainwaves of some of their no-brainer idols-Superstars-turned-politicians.
Sadly, this “need” is an impossible dream in Today’s World of hi-tech-touch-technology-toys.
Even in America!
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