Just settling an old score with US

President Duterte keeps saying he is doing everything he can for the benefit of the Filipinos. Yet his one-track-minded pivot to China is seen as nothing more than a move to spite and to settle an old score with the United States. From the countless surveys conducted, his fanaticism toward that communist country is manifestly contrary to what Filipinos prefer.

Just look at the empirical evidence: Compared to the never-ending long lines of visa applicants at the US Embassy, is anyone seeing any line at the Chinese Embassy? And speaking of millions of Filipino TNTs (“tago nang tago,” due to an overwhelming desire to overstay and eventually become American citizens), does anyone ever say that in reference to China?

It is quite obvious that Mr. Duterte’s agenda is really personal. Remember how he ranted and raved years ago about the time the US denied his visa application to visit his girlfriend there? (“Duterte reveals being denied a US visa in the past,” GMA News, 10/20/16). After all these years, it seems he has never forgiven America for that heartache!

So, see how he reacted viscerally and vehemently to the revocation of Sen. Bato dela Rosa’s visa (who rued that he might no longer see any Pacquiao fights in the US)? He eviscerated America once again for its heartlessness. Yet, when our own people (former high government officials) were arbitrarily denied entry to China last year, Mr. Duterte’s official cover-up artist, Salvador Panelo, had no problem saying, well, it was China’s absolute prerogative, so get over it.

But seriously, after gobbling up all the little islands west of the country despite our claims to them, what else will China occupy irreversibly in the Philippines within three more years of President Duterte’s political honeymoon with Chinese President Xi, now undeterred by any US military presence? No rocket science, that.

Does anyone ever listen to retired Supreme Court justice Antonio Carpio, who knows everything there is to know about our territories in the West Philippine Sea (“Duterte has chosen: Province of China,” Crosscurrents, 3/5/20) and helped win our case in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague? Notwithstanding that spectacular victory, are Filipinos really a hopeless bunch of losers?

Heaven help us!

ANNALEE LAUDER, [email protected]