How do we solve a problem like China, with its continued “bullying” and claim on a million square miles of the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea including some Philippine territories?
As we reported on Balitang America, community leader Loida Nicolas Lewis and the US Pinoys for Good Governance have spearheaded the “boycott everything about China” campaign as part of the strategy to make China back off from what belongs to the Philippines.
“We are always standing up for the Philippines, that is part of our National Anthem, sa manlulupig di ka pasisiil,” Lewis said.
However, as Balitang America New York Correspondent Don Tagala reported, “while self-proclaimed patriotic groups have advocated a boycott of China, Philippine boxing champ Manny Pacquiao is singing praises for the Asian neighbor now perceived by many as the most powerful country in the world.”
Pacquiao has been aggressively promoting his crucial comeback fight that will happen at The Venetian in Macau. This is seen by many as a big push to promote China as the next boxing capital of the world.
“We want to raise the visibility of Macau as a tourist destination in China,” Sands China CEO, Ed Tracy said in the press conference to promote the fight. “Clearly we have made a step in the global ring with this event.”
“Manny wants to perform well and please his fans and also give fans from all over that part of the world an opportunity to come and see his fight live,” Pacquiao’s Manager, Michael Koncz said.
“This is a good chance and a great opportunity to promote boxing, not only in America but in China,” Pacquiao said, “Remember China has 1.4 billion [in] population.”
Tagala reported that our Pambansang Kamao, who is also his hometown’s (Saranggani) congressman, said his fight promotion should not be juxtaposed with the Philippines’ territorial dispute with the Chinese.
“Pino-promote natin ang boxing sa China,” Pacquiao said, “I’m promoting boxing, so not the land.” Pacquiao, however, believes his Macau fight can help usher peace in Southeast Asia.
Tagala’s report noted that despite the boxer/congressman’s goodwill, however, Filipino activists who are leading global efforts condemning China’s actions during the maritime dispute believe boxing may not solve the tensions.
“This is besides Manny Pacquiao. This problem is between the Philippine government and Chinese government so as long as the Philippine government holds talking to the Chinese government nothing can be achieved,” said activist Arturo Garcia who also attended the press conference.
Tagala added that as Manny Pacquiao starts to train for his November fight in China, many Filipino groups are also getting ready for another round of anti-China protest on August 21.
Loida Nicolas Lewis said this will coincide with the commemoration of the 30th death anniversary and heroism of Senator Benigno Aquino Jr., who fought and died to free the Philippines from oppressors.
Meantime, the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Philippines announced that negotiations are underway for an expansion of the United States access to its bases in the Philippines.
In a statement, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said this agreement on increased rotational presence are necessary to ensure the security of the Filipino people and the stability of the region.
Del Rosario pointed out that increased rotational presence of US forces could enhance deterrence and boost maritime security and maritime domain awareness even before the Philippine military acquires more ships and aircraft.
Amid the destruction of typhoon “Labuyo” in the Philippines, Del Rosario also noted timely and responsive humanitarian and disaster relief, which will be improved through the framework agreement.
Critics warned that such agreement may be in violation of the Philippine Constitution, which bans any permanent foreign bases in the Philippines.
“Transparency is extremely important in these negotiations. Our people need to know that our laws are observed and our interests are protected at all times,” Del Rosario said. He affirmed that Philippine negotiators have been given parameters to ensure that the Philippine Constitution and laws are fully respected during the negotiations.
“Our region would also need to know that we are steadfastly for peace; but that we stand ready to tap every resource, to call on every alliance, to do what is necessary in order to defend what is ours, to secure our nation and to keep our people safe,” Del Rosario added.
Community leader and human rights advocate Atty. Arnedo Valera, however said the Philippine government should not limit itself with the International Law of The Seas, in claiming its rights over the Spratlys group of islands. Valera is also co-executive director of the Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC), a non-profit organization in the Washington,DC area that helps immigrants in the United States.
At the Talakayan sa Embahada sponsored by the Philippine Embassy at the national capital on Thursday, Valera said “there are five claimants to the Spratlys groups of islands and using the UNCLOS alone will never resolve such ownership because of the convoluted claims.“
Valera reiterated that while the MHC however maintains that the Kalayaan group of islands, as well as other islands which are part of its 200 nautical miles territory, rightfully belongs to the Philippines and must thus be protected. He believes “the Philippines should invoke the territorial sovereign rights based on acts of discovery, occupation, and on certain inferred rights over continental shelf delimitation.”
While China has been claiming sovereignty over the South China Sea (including the Spratlys), based on discovery and occupation, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei have likewise made their own claims.
Valera pointed out that this approach gives it more reason to invoke the sovereignty rights, as well as UNCLOS to be able to see things in a larger picture. “If we use the UNCLOS alone, the convoluted territorial claims will never be resolved.”
“The body to arbitrate on sovereign territorial rights would be the International Court of Justice. All the Philippines should do is to ask one more claimant country to have the petition tried before the international court,” he said.
According to Valera, territorial ownership rights will never be resolved in our lifetime. Therefore, he said the MHC is proposing that the Philippine government initiate the creation of an economic resource development body among these claimant nations in order to create a “win-win” situation where resources are developed and shared by the states.
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Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
