By Reni M. Valenzuela
Their game plan from the time they started building their illegal structures in the West Philippine Sea is no secret.
It behooved the Chinese to make the situation appear like China owns what they’ve been trying to steal so that later when the real owner moves boldly (after exhausting every possible diplomatic means) to correct the situation, they may “justify” their acts of aggression/violence to be a matter of “defense” on their part (as they’ve done it), with several of their militia ships continually and illegally swarming/anchoring in the stolen territory and never having the intention to leave.
Let us not be too naive as a people to believe just about every gesture of “goodwill” China is showing us (though rarely), to be a sincere act of kindness and benevolence. For, after all, their “goodwill” may just be a part and parcel (among others) of their subtle intent to grab/invade our West Philippine Sea.
This is China for what its true color is. It knows no civility and international laws – a god unto itself.
The West Philippine Sea belongs to the Philippines for as long as the arbitration of the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea is concerned (with all its implications and logical conclusions), and for as long as there is no acceptable resolution yet on the issue among all the claimant countries.
That is the way to approach the crisis for us, Filipinos. This is even not to mention China’s incursion into the areas that are well within our country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), like the Ayungin Shoal.
By the way, it is regrettable that the nations of Brunei, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam appear to have virtually abandoned, if not lost, their right over the said disputed body of waters – due to their silence and inaction over China’s aggressions.
