By Herbert Vego
THE sudden trip of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Washington DC the other day could only be viewed as an urgent step to boost our country’s defense against China’s bullying. The reason given — to take part in the first-ever trilateral summit with United States President Joe Biden, and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House – is meant to warn Chinese President Xi JinPing that his China Coast Guard should no longer blast water cannons on our vessels at the West Philippine Sea.
One recalls that, only last Sunday, warships of the US, Japan, Australia and the Philippines showed up for a maritime drill kicking off the Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) to contain China’s worsening aggression at the Ayungin shoal.
Henceforth, let us expect the MMCA to do more West Philippine Sea patrols.
The yarn that we could not go to war with China because we don’t have the firepower is invalid. While we are not in the position to go to war, we can ward invaders off with the help of the aforementioned allies, plus many more allies – including China’s immediate neighbor, India.
In fact, defending the Philippines is only incidental. Their primary concern is to prevent China from controlling ship passage along the South China Sea, which is a major waterway for international navigation.
China would not risk impoverishing itself in a war. According to the Washington, D.C.-based Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center, “A regulatory crackdown on leading private companies in the e-commerce and online services sectors has already sapped the vitality of China’s economy. Investments by corporate giants such as Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu plummeted 40 percent in 2023, and employment in the sector has been hit by layoffs.”
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LEGARDA-ROQUERO TOPS ‘PULSO’ SURVEY
THIS early, the political horses of Antique have started racing for survey rankings in the hope of winning voters’ preferences. After all, surveys are meant to mind-condition and sway voters’ preferences for the May 2025 mid-term elections.
So, let’s start with the initial survey of the pollster calling itself Pulso ng Pilipino sa Antique, where the team of incumbent Congressman Antonio Agapito “AA” Legarda and former Valderrama Mayor Ray Roquero leads.
Cong. Legarda, who is running for re-election, ranks ahead with 55.3% against outgoing Governor Rhodora “Dodod” Cadiao with 43.7%. So far no other aspirant for congressman is on the horizon.
Ay sadya! These two, remember, comprised a “uniteam” in the 2020 election. Cadiao being on her third term as governor, she must have thought he would swap positions with her in 2025.
Roquero, Legarda’s teammate for governor, has 58.5% and appears to be dwarfing Cadiao’s bet, incumbent Vice Governor Edgar Demosta, who scored 27%. They are up against two independent but wealthy wannabes, Paolo Javier with 12.2% and Vicente Fedelicio, 2.4%.
For vice-governor, Denosta’s running mate Karmila Rose Dimamay leads with 42.3% against Roquero’s Mayella Plameras, 33.1%. Two other rumored contenders are Julius Tajanlangit with 15.6% and Pio Sumande, 7.4%.
Of course, the followers of the non-frontrunners in the survey would disagree. Why the hurry? The supposed candidates have yet to file their certificates of candidacy in October.
“It’s unfair for Pio Sumande,” a friend sympathetic to the outgoing provincial board member told me. “He has not even decided on running for vice-governor. The guy is not rich but he is so popular to the masses that he could even aspire for governor.”
Oh well, if Sumande is poor, let us jump into the conclusion that he does not have the amount needed to pay for top rank. Indi man survey ang basis kang padaog. Indi bala, Ciloy Baldestamon?
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A SWIMMING TO WATCH
THE second leg of the Western Visayas International Open Water Swim Circuit is unfolding on Sunday, April 14, 2024, at Sicogon Island in Carles, Iloilo under the auspices of the Department of Tourism (DOT).
This I learned from one of the participants, the lovely Miami Yturiaga, who looks 20 years younger than her 51 summers. She is one of the contestants in the 1.5-kilometer swimming event that will kick off at Hatch Resort.
Mia, who once served as secretary of former Iloilo City Congressman Rafael Lopez-Vito, is a triathlon buff. She participates in swimming, cycling and running competitions.
Knowing Mia, I believe she could opt to compete for any of the two other events, the 3k and 5k. But she would prefer 1.5k to avoid the risks of sunburn and dehydration under the heat of the 10 a.m. sun. We expect her to mount the podium for the awards ceremony in the afternoon.
