THE RECENT spat between senators Rodante Marcoleta and Francis Pangilinan over the finer details of the West Philippine Sea and our Exclusive Economic Zone was amusing to me, and I would guess is amusing for the Chinese as well.
It’s silly because Filipino leaders seem to operate on the assumption that the world operates under some abstract international law, and that if we do what is correct, we will come out on top.
That is a very naïve way of thinking, and will get a weak country, like ours, to end up like Melos during the Peloponnesian War.
China is trolling us because it is powerful. Period. It does not need to justify anything.
Countries that have power can set the agenda, frame the moral arguments, and establish the “truth” of history. China is already doing that with its artificial intelligence. The same was also true with almost every super power, including the United States. The only question is do they use power and narratives subtly, or do they wield it like a club?
In the case with China, that seems to be the latter, which is why trying to argue with the them is a fool’s errand. They don’t want an impartial, objective truth. They want to impose “their truth”, and their truth is that they deserve to be the Middle Kingdom again.
Therefore, our leaders should stop bickering about the details of our territory. Release a united statement, and close ranks. Our alliance with the United States and Japan is the only reason China has not yet swallowed up the West Philippine Sea.
We should not be discussing this. Rather, we should focus on building our arms and capabilities. We are no longer in the age of free trade and international law. This is a world of wolves now. Our leaders should act like it./PN
