By Letter to the Editor
Regarding the column of Mr. Rigoberto Tiglao, “Colossal lies, delusions on Felipe Reef brouhaha” (The Manila Times, April 5, 2021):
DURING this time that our country is beset with many challenges, it is very uplifting to know that someone can still take the bull by the horns and mince no words in defending the country from bully nations.
For telling Beijing to drive away its militia ships anchored smugly at the Julian Felipe Reef and ordering air and maritime patrols to safeguard the country’s sovereignty over the Municipality of Kalayaan (Kalayaan Islands) in Palawan, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana deserves a commendation. His fierce stance has caught China’s attention, eliciting a strongly worded reaction from its ambassador in Manila. But the iron-willed Defense chief did not budge. He reiterated his demand.
Secretary Lorenzana, as head of the Department of National Defense, has the sworn duty to protect the integrity of the country’s territory and uphold the nation’s sovereignty. His position bears the power to issue orders to the military to defend the nation from external threats that would endanger the lives of Filipinos and jeopardize the country’s claims over the West Philippine Sea.
The issue here is simple: Beijing knows about the flotillas of vessels that have been on standby at the Julian Felipe Reef. This is clearly an encroachment of our territory. And of course, the Defense department will not allow that. While we want to avoid war due to territorial disputes, the Philippines cannot let its guard down and accept the ludicrous reason that they were merely taking shelter from bad weather. That is, at its best, a dimwitted excuse if not a blatant lie. We are fully aware that China has a penchant for sneaking into our backyard and calling it theirs using their fictional nine-dash line claim.
It is impossible not to consider as threatening the presence of over 200 Chinese vessels — whether fishermen or maritime militia — within maritime areas under Philippine sovereignty or jurisdiction. The sheer number of the vessels is intimidating, especially in light of Beijing’s record of creeping invasion and militarization of contested islands in the West Philippine Sea. The threat and the anxiety it caused on our countrymen were real.
Secretary Lorenzana did the right thing. Armed with the proper powers, it was well within his authority to dispatch Air Force and Navy assets to patrol the areas surrounding the Julian Felipe Reef, which is part of the Kalayaan Islands over which the Philippines has sovereignty. Our forces might pale in comparison to China’s firepower, but the courage and patriotism of Secretary Lorenzana and the men and women in the Department of National Defense, especially the Armed Forces of the Philippines, will never cower in fulfilling their duty to protect the state and serve the people. Our government should and must stand up to whoever encroaches on our sovereign territory. And it is our patriotic duty as Filipinos to support this cause.
Arnel M. Duco
Undersecretary for Strategic Assessment and Planning
Department of National Defense
Member, National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea