On the Question of the Spratlys

July 29, 2011

Dear Editor,

Lately there has been some “patriotic rallies’ by some Filipino American political groups closely identified with the election of the President Aquino III in the United States in front of the Chinese consulates in the United States and even in the Philippines.

They timed it with the DFA secretary Albert Del Roseario’s visit to the People’s Republic of China on the diplomatic row over the controversial Spratly islands. It only amounts to political propaganda and posturings.

After the visit, President Aquino III on his  second annual State of the Nation Address to the Philippine Congress last July 25 referred to the islands ; “ We will defend what is ours to defend.” It was timed with the new navy acquisition of a  1968 Hamilton class frigate, that will patrol the area. And as a propaganda to raise the ante- the Philippines named the contested area as “The West Philippine Seas.”

Spratlys Question

All nations who are all interested parties to the Spratlys based their claims on history. China which is the oldest says Nansha, as it calls it- says its in South China seas.

The Philippines says the Kalayaan Group and the Mischief Reef belongs to it having the islands annexed in 1971 through a presidential decree issued by Marcos at the same time they put up a military outpost in the area.

But for the Alliance, the Philippines has the strongest legal claim for the two areas being situated within 200 nautical miles under the United Nation Convention on the Laws of the Seas (UNCLOS). But legal niceties are for the long term and will last for decades or even centuries.

It maybe too be naïve to believe that the Philippines will win ownership of the islands by simply invoking the UNCLOS. All national interests are won by depending it by force and the sacrifices of the parties concern.

History of the Conflict

In the first place, it was a Filipino merchant mariner named Admiral Tomas Cloma who planted the Philippine flag in the 45 island/reef chains and from then on the Philippine government to the chiding of the United States who garrisoned the area.

We must accept the reality that the Philippines cannot afford the mighty China in a shooting war. The Philippine Navy has only seven old World War II vintage ships and has no air force to fight any invading nations in that area.

Vietnam tried to bully its way after the border war with China erupted in 1979 in the island chains. But again it was clobbered by China in the sea dispute and a naval war so Vietnam has to lick it wounds after being defeated by China in the naval battles over Changsa. In the 1980’s.

Vietnam tried a different tact by using the United States as a cover against China. They gave the US 7th fleet visiting and docking rights at its former Russian Naval base in Cam Rahn Bay in the 1900’s just to threaten China. But China’s answer was to build a “blue sea” fleet that can defend its sea lanes threaten by the US 7th Fleet.

But for the Philippines, its only hold in the Pag-asa Islands are slwly being eroded until was prodded by the US. Maybe during the early 50’s and 60’s, the Philippines has one of the strongest navy and air force. But today we have sunk as Asia’s old man who cannot even defend its immigrants against our neighbors like Indonesia and Malaysia who deports our people at their own whims and will.

Learn from the lessons of history

The Alliance-Philippines believe that it will good for the country not to engage the services or the United States or take its assurance that it will defend its own interests by abiding to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), the basis of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

We must also fell prey to the jingoism of old anti communist and  anti China people in the United States who held anti-Chinese rallies in major cities, They are just provoking more tensions between our people and people of China.

These “ summer patriots and sunshine soldiers” will be the first to run if there will be tensions between China and the Philippines because they are safe in the United States. And as it looks, they cannot even muster enough people to sustain rallies in these places.

We must remember our history. The United States occupied the Philippines just to abandon it to the Japanese in World War II. They let the Japanese occupy the Philippines for almost three years from 1941-1945 at a gargantuan cost to our lives and properties.

People should remember during the Philippine-Malaysian crisis in 1968, the United States sided with the British who controls Malaysia and let British jets to refuel in Clark Air Base while on their way to beef up Malaysian forces in North Borneo to defend Malaysia. This caused wild protests in Manila in 1968-1969 and raise anti –American protests.

We might also remember during the height of the MNLF insurgency, Malaysian North Borneo helped the MNLF and gave its forces sanctuary. While the US even refused to provide the Philippines  military aid and Marcos has to buy armalite rifles from Singapore. Marcos has to threaten to close the US bases for him to be offered US military aid against the MNLF in 1973-1975.

Now they are talk of leasing military equipments such as ships and planes to the Philippines at the tune of $ 450 million for AFP modernization. But the so called AFP modernization has been going on for time immemorial and yet the AFP is not modern or advance in technology even in the terms of arms and equipments.

How can we expect to defend and even safeguard our territory much more of our sovereignty and pride?

“Shall we weep like a woman when we cannot defend what is ours like men? “

Truly yours,


Arturo P. Garcia

Alliance-Philippines