(Story Credit To Perfecto Raymundo and Photos By Shaine Pe)
Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, Inc. (ACPSSII) President Herman “Ka Mentong” Tiu Laurel on Wednesday (April 3) said that they are bringing to the nation and to the world what is happening elsewhere that affect the Filipino people. Laurel cited that strong earthquake that struck Wednesday morning, which may affect the Philippines and other countries in Southeast Asia. He expressed the hope that no major damage or several casualties may emerge as a result of the 7.4 quake that hit Taiwan. Laurel, speaking in Taglish (Tagalog/English), para maintindihan ng mga simpleng mamimili at taxi driver natin, buwan-buwan ang ACPSSII ang adbokasiya ng “think tank” ng mga iskolar, manunulat at intelektuwal pampubliko, ay nag-uulat ng kanyang assessment ng pambansang sitwasyon na kinakaharap ng Pinoy. “While China further improves on its 5.2% growth for 2023 and contributes up to 30% of the world economy, opening its market to global imports, the United States is deliberately pulling down regions of the world, including its allies, to dismal levels through conflicts and proxy wars – as we see happening to Germany, many countries in European Union, and Japan in recession,” Laurel said. He noted that the United Kingdom becomes second G7 economy to fall into recession. “Kahit talo na ang US, pinalalawig nito ang proxy war sa Ukraine, na nagpapataas ng presyo ng US oil at gas sa EU samantalang pinupwersa ang Germany, Japanese at Taiwan-based industries na lumipat sa US, kahit na hindi nito kinayang tuparin ang financial promises sa mga industriyang ito. Ganoon pa din, itinutulak nito ang geopolitical economic war sa Asya,” Laurel said. The ACSPSSII President cited that the United States blew up Nord Stream pipelines connecting Russia to Germany, journalist Seymour Hersh reports.
Likewise, “The 2011 US “Pivot to Asia” has escalated 2024 into its focus on it is push for aggression and conflict using vassal and proxy states, with the objectives of bringing China down and, along with it, Asia’s GDP by 30%, according to the former chief of the Intelligence Service of the AFP (ISAFP), who is also the author of the renowned book, “America’s Dim Mark Points: Unrestricted Warfare in the 21st Century.” Laurel also cited former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte made “undocumented, informal agreement” Sa mismong salita ni Duterte “Will you allow the Chinese to fish? Of course. That’ what we talked about before, that’s why we talked. And that was why we were allowed to fish again. It was a mutual agreement,” Duterte said in a speech in Malacanang last week.” “Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, meanwhile revealed that the two leaders did not formally sign documents on the supposed fishing deal in Philippine waters. “I don’t think they signed (agreement). They just talk. You know world leaders they have a word of honor,” Panelo said in Filipino. Laurel stressed that it’s good that the Philippines and the United States are talking, citing the report from Radyo Pilipinas that US President Joe Biden has called on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. However, no further details of the talk between the two leaders are available. “Hindi bago. Hindi binago ang agreement. Iyan po ay isang istratehiya para makinabang tayo sa Tsina,” former Presidential Spokesman Atty. Harry Roque, Jr. said in a livestream video. “Ang polisiya ni dating Pangulong Duterte na ang kasunduan ay “status quo’ kung saan ang parehong panig na nagbunga sa mas maraming pagkain sa hapag ng Pilipino,” Atty. Roque added. “Kung anuman ang ginawa ni President Duterte para di na maulit ang water cannon incident. Tama ang “status quo” agreement na nagresulta sa pag-unlad ng turismo at kalakalan sa pagitan ng Tsina at Pilipinas,” he said. “Nasa balita po ngayon na walang bansa sa mundo na hindi nakikinabang sa maunlad na ekonomiya ng Tsina. Bakit hindi tayo (Pilipinas) makikinabang rin sa malaking ekonomiya ng Tsina,” he added. “Hanggang ngayon, may mga elemento sa Amerika na gustong magkagiyera dahil iyan nga ay negosyo sa kalakalan ng armas,”
Atty. Roque said. “Bakit naman tayo papasok sa giyera na kung saan ang iyong teritoryo ang magiging ‘battle ground’” he added, referring to the ongoing war in Ukraine where the United States is supplying arms to the embattled Ukraine but the US citizens themselves did not want to engage in war physically in Ukraine. Atty. Roque noted that the President is the chief architect of the foreign policy of the country such that he would not allow to endanger the lives of the Filipinos, adding that the EDCA was not aimed to engage in war. “Hindi tayo mamamatay dahil sa Taiwan. Huwag naman sanang mawala sa atin ang Ayungin dahil kapag nangyari yan, tayo ang kauna-unahan na isinuko ang ating teritoryo sa Tsina,” he said. “Paragraph 1161 ng Arbitral Ruling ay nagsasaad na ang Ayungin Shoal o Sierra Madre at bokya na tayo dahil militarized na sya. Dapat ay Philippine Coast Guard ang nagbabantay sa Ayungin. Dapat demilitarized ang Ayungin Shoal,” Atty. Roque said. “Quintessentially military situation dahil militarized ang Ayungin Shoal dahil nakabalahura ang Sierra Madre doon. Atat na atat na ang US na magkagiyera sa South China Sea sa dahilang pang-ekonomiya,” he added. “Paano tayo magkakaroon ng freedom of navigation kung hindi naman gumagalaw ang vessel (Sierra Madre),” he added. “Tayo lamang ang Archipelago na katabi ng South China Sea. 3.2 million square miles ang lawak ng South China Sea. Ano ba naman yung 274 square miles,”
Atty. Roque said. “Ang ‘traditional fishing grounds’ sa Ayungin Shoal ay maaaring pakinabangan ng mga bansang mapapatunayang may karapatan sa naturang pangisdaan,” he added. The former Presidential Spokesperson said that “the water cannon attack is not conserved as an armed attack.” On the allegations that President Marcos, Jr. had been in the PDEA narco-politicians list, Roque said, may have put doubts on the ability of the President to address the issues surrounding the South China Sea. Likewise, Roque said that “wala naman sa UNCLOS na ang mga bansa ay dapat Archipelagic Nations o Archipelagic States na hindi naman mandatory, kung ayaw pumayag ang isang bansa na magkaroon ng ‘Archipelagic Baseline.” “Hindi pwedeng idikit ang Spratly’s Islands sa Archipelagic Baseline ayon sa UNCLOS,” he added. “Ang diplomasya o diplomatic relations ay exempted sa freedom of information upang makabuo ang Presidente ng independent foreign policy,” Atty. Roque said. “Tama si Secretary Panelo na walang ‘gentleman’s agreement’. Ang meron lamang ay ‘status quo’ agreement sa West Philippine Sea. Wala po akong binanggit na ‘gentleman’s agreement’ sa Ayungin. We should think to deescalate the tension in the South China Sea,” he added. “Pwedeng maging dahilan ng pagdedeklara ng Martial Law ang posibleng giyera sa South China Sea,” Atty. Roque said. Ado Paglinawan ay natutuwa dahil karamihan sa posisyon ng ACPSSII ay kinumpirma ni Atty. Harry Roque, na accredited as an international lawyer ng International Criminal Court. “Dapat lang na imanage ni former Supreme Court Senior Associate Antonio Carpio ang kanyang ‘senior moments’ when it comes to foreign policy,” Paglinawan said. “Duterte did no agree to pull out BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal, he only agreed with the policy of former President Benigno “Noynoy” S. Aquino III,” he added. Paglinawan scored Carpio for changing his position pertaining to the Ayungin Shoal, specifically on the alleged gentleman’s agreement on BRP Sierra Madre. He stressed that Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro does not seem to know the 2016 Arbitral Ruling, specifically Paragraphs 1161 and 1162 which stipulated that Ayungin Shoal cannot invoke the “Archipelagic Baseline” as Ayungin Shoal has been militarized because of the BRP Sierra Madre which became a permanent military outpost in the area.
The ACPSSII Vice President urged Teodoro to please read carefully and understand the 2016 Arbitral Ruling, particularly Paragraphs 1161 and 1162. Paglinawan pointed out that the US$500 million or Php27 billion funding for anti-China campaign put up by the United States Congress would end up in the hands of Malacanang Palace. He differentiated the sovereign rights and territorial claims over the land, sea and air, to harness the natural wealth under the water, but the sovereignty rights of the Philippines is just based on UNCLOS which has jurisdiction over maritime claims, and that the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is not “absolute” such that all that are above the water is subject to international law. “International law, which is written, is bigger than ‘customary international law’ such that two ships which are about to collide with each other should prevent and avoid collision.
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