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Embarrassing Pull Out

THE THING WITH the latest pull out of the Philippine military vessels from the disputed Panatag Shoal gives me a feeling that we have embarassed ourselves for getting duped into withdrawing from standing put in defending that claim.

The current statement from the Chinese foreign ministry seems to say that the Philippines has the only responsibility to keep the tension down in the area; not the overreaching China. Somehow China managed to stand pat on its stubbornness in "defending" what is "hers" from the Philippine claim. If the Philippine politicians fail to get the message, then we as well admit our claim as much weaker (of low resolve) compared to that of China.

Imagine leaving the Panatag Shoal on the excuse of protecting the government military vessels from bad weather. That's hollow-sounding to me considering that Chinese policy considers such a move a non-issue on their part. So much for our resolve to claim what is rightfully ours. And I believe that the Panatag Shoal is ours to claim. It's just that our resolve to defend it from other claimants, especially China, seems to waver with the weather in or off season, whether for the reason of fear of confrontation or whatever.

If we are really serious in our claim then, our resolve to stay put in that disputed area must be as strong if not stronger that of China who is many miles away from that area as we are. If we need to prepare militarily to an eventually armed solution, then we should. But let us not shame ourselves by our actions. If the Japanese labelled the Chinese during the Second World War as the "Sick Man of Asia," looks like that humbling title has been applied to the Filipinos this time by China herself without even uttering a word for it.

I could imagine that it could have been better had both the Philippine and Chinese vessels stayed inside the Shoal to protect itself from the hard weather if that had been serious enough to consider a pull out. The blame should on who took the first shot.

At the end of the day, the Philippines will have to look at the probability of having to prepare for the worst in this dispute--a military solution, I mean, when the tension in Panatag Shoal continue to be put on our doorstep by China. If we cannot stand the heat then perhaps let us take the heat home, and let go of the Shoal.

UPDATES

China created Shansha City to administer the islands they claimed in the West Philippine Sea. [Read report]

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin warned: "If you don't populate the area or fill it with your presence, they will invoke 'occupancy.' They are there; and that's what they will use to support their claim." [Read report]
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