I refer to the report “China has given more ‘fish’ to PH, says development expert,” (Inquirer.net, 6/13/18), particularly the strange and utterly abhorrent contention of so-called “development expert” George Siy when he stated that: “Over a hundred million dollars have been waived in terms of the loans [for] the NorthRail [project]…”
I have serious doubts about the expertise of this person by virtue of the fact that he equated the honor of the country to economic aid and monetary benefits.
An individual who truly loves his country will never ever exchange for whatever benefit or compensation the integrity and sovereignty of his nation.
Sovereignty is not for sale, and people who disregard the importance of their nation’s dignity and honor have no right to be free and call themselves sovereign.
I vividly remember a scene in the film “The Last Samurai,” when Katsumoto (tribal lord and leader of the rebelling samurais) is about to rejoin the government council.
Katsumoto tells Minister Omura, who appears to be proforeigner: “We are a nation of whores selling ourselves.” The same can be said about the position of that so-called development expert.
No amount of “fish” (which, ironically, belongs to us in the first place), or economic aid packages and developmental projects from China or any other empire, would be enough to cover the shame and dishonor being done to us by the Chinese every day in our very own territory.
JOSE MARIO DOLOR DE VEGA, mario_the_radical@yahoo.com