Proof of the Chinese government’s self-centeredness on the West Philippine Sea issues: It has rejected calls for an “immediate and lasting halt” to all its reclamation and construction projects in the disputed territories. As to how far China would go with its ridiculous pursuits against its neighbors, we can only wait and see.
But I would like to commend the government for its strong and resolute approach in dealing with the problem. It is not always easy to turn the other cheek; even the followers of Jesus Christ in the Catholic Church finds it hard to move on from the “Damaso” act of Carlos Celdran. But with our government opting for diplomacy, the Chinese leaders, with their bully tactics, are hurting their country’s image in the eyes of the world. By their acts, the Philippines has now secured the moral high ground, which is good for the Philippines in the long run, thanks to the Chinese leaders.
We may temporarily lose several strategic pieces of our territory in the West Philippine Sea. But this is where our government is sure that China’s nine-dash line will not stand in the international tribunal. The arbitration case we filed to clarify maritime entitlements has sent China grasping at straws, and history will judge it bitterly in the end.
—PETER R. MORALES, ptr.morales@yahoo.com