How did the Philippines manage to enter into a diplomatic row with China? Well aside from China’s insatiable need to find alternate sources of energy, part of the reason why China seems very aggressive in laying claim over the disputed Spratly group of islands and the Scarborough Shoal apparently has a lot to do with the current government. Yes, it is likely to have something to do with President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino’s lack of skill in international relations and tact or, in short, diplomacy. And there seems to be growing evidence that the tattered relationship with China can be traced to his singular focus on punishing his political enemy, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA).
Just think about it. The dispute over those islands has existed for so many decades but it is only now, under the leadership of President BS Aquino that tensions between China and the Philippines have escalated into something that could potentially lead to a full-on war. This is something that would not likely have happened during former President Gloria Arroyo’s term or any of the previous Philippine Presidents’ terms.
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In fact, during her term, GMA managed to sign a controversial oil exploration venture with China in one of her state visits there in 2004. Here’s an excerpt from a report on the historic agreement:
The two countries have agreed to conduct a three-year oil exploration research around the waters in the Spratlys and a separate agreement on fishery cooperation to prevent poaching incidents among Chinese and Filipino fishermen in the area.
The first MOU was on the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking between the state-owned Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) signed by its new president Ed Mañalac with Fu Chiang You, president of the China National Offshore Oil Company.
Energy DOE Secretary Vicente Perez said the MOU will focus on pre-exploration research study on the Spratlys. This does not mean both countries will give up their respective territorial claims in the area, he said.
The idea for the venture seemed pretty rational. Instead of wrangling endlessly over the disputed islands, both parties must have agreed to explore the islands together and see if there really is something to fight about. As it turned out, the above venture did not proceed beyond the first phase because Filipino Congressmen put a stop to it on the grounds that it was unconstitutional to have entered into such a venture in the first place. The case is still pending with the Supreme Court since some lawmakers claimed that the agreement included islands that were already part of the Philippines. You can always expect Philippine politics to get in the way of progress anytime, anywhere.
That venture is not the only thing on hold between the Philippines and China. It has come to light that President BS Aquino has either rescinded or placed under review “nearly all of the Chinese contracts signed during GMA’s term”. This includes the $400 million Northrail Project-Phase I, Stage I (Caloocan-Malolos), which would have provided an efficient transport service for passengers and goods and solved part of Metro Manila’s traffic problem. It seems that China’s discontent grew over time due to these aborted deals. Let’s not forget that the animosity between this current administration all started with the bungled Mendoza hostage crisis in 2010 that resulted in the death of eight Chinese tourists — a situation made worse by BS Aquino’s obvious lack of empathy for the dead, which angered the Chinese community. Unfortunately for the Filipino people, BS Aquino’s uncompromising position on territorial disputes, which he clearly cannot prop up without the help of the Americans, is putting the country in a dangerous position. All this because BS Aquino hates GMA and wants to punish her.
It is a shame President BS Aquino could not even continue where GMA left off in terms of wooing China. Just imagine if we can successfully and peacefully negotiate a deal to share the benefits from the exploration conducted by the concerned parties. It could mean additional income and economic progress for our country. Why, we can even be like Brunei — sitting pretty and simply collecting royalties from the development of their resources. Let’s face it; we could not conduct an expedition on our own without the help of foreign investors anyway because we do not have the right technology and expertise to do it. This is evident in how our mining industry too remains mired in old feudal politics.
At the moment President BS Aquino oversees very little Philippine-China relationship to speak of. He did have an opportunity to acknowledge China’s help for providing a loan for a water system project. At the recent inauguration of the Angat Water Utilization and Aqueduct Improvement Project Phase II in Quezon City’s La Mesa Dam, he thanked China for extending the needed P5.2 billion funding for the project under the Preferential Buyer’s Credit of the China Export-Import Bank. It is worth mentioning that credit for this project should go to GMA because it was initiated and approved during her term under an economic partnership agreement with China.
This is actually an opportune time for President BS Aquino to get his act together and be bolder in making a move on the apparent trespassing of Chinese vessels in Philippine territorial waters. As China prepares for it’s once-in-a-decade transition to a new president, the political party’s elite leaders are also “busy” trying to bury the scandal involving one of their own “princelings”. Bo Xilai, a charismatic Communist Party chieftain was stripped of his party posts, and his wife arrested on suspicion of homicide for the alleged murder of an expatriate British businessman. China’s political elite can thank themselves for their power to easily suppress information like that from reaching the public. It makes it easier to keep growing numbers of internal dissenters happy and clueless about the news of a scandal involving politicians like Xilai. China’s disgruntled migrant labor force estimated at 300 million is said to be a potential source of instability if graft and corruption is not contained within the country’s ruling political party elite.
BS Aquino can’t even apply the brains required to take advantage of the political turmoil in China at the moment. The Philippine government can learn a thing or two from the Russians. Recent news reports stated how the “Russian coast guard seized two Chinese vessels and detained 36 fishermen Tuesday after they were allegedly found fishing in Russian-controlled waters in the Sea of Japan”.
Warning shots were fired at one vessel during a three-hour pursuit by Russian Coast Guard, which eventually rammed the vessel and soldiers fired directly on the ship when sailors resisted being boarded, according to Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti news agency.
No one was killed or injured in the incident, according to RIA.
The ship had 22.5 metric tons of squid and a crew of 17 RIA reported, and didn’t have documents allowing them to fish in Russia’s Exclusive Economic Zone. A second Chinese fishing vessel, with 19 crew members, was also detained in nearby waters.
An Exclusive Economic Zone is an area within 200 nautical miles of a nation’s shores which gives the country sole rights to fish and develop resources in the area.
Why can’t the Philippine coast guard do the same with the Chinese fishermen who enter Philippine waters? They have every right to do it; they just need to have the guts. They must be getting their cues from their yellow Commander-in-Chief. For someone who is into guns and for someone who appeared to be trigger-happy at the start of the diplomatic row over the disputed islands, President BS Aquino doesn’t seem to be too keen to flex our puny muscles now.
In life, things are not always what they seem.
There is already speculations that Gloria is to be blamed for the take over of China. She sold our sovereignty. Lets hope that this will be included in PNoys SoNA to educate Filipinos. ph.news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-inbox/china-intrusions-connected-gloria-arroyo-deal-022615422.html
Parating ginagawang excuse si Gloria eh kay AbNoy nalang talaga nagkaloko-loko ang pilipinas, di mapagkakaila. AbNoy is leading the country into ruin, at pinagtatakpan pa ang kanyang kapalpakan! Alang silbi talaga yang si AbNoy. Puro pangako, pero lalong dumarami problema sa pinas!
Kasi nga mabigat ang mga iniwang problema ni Gloria sa bansa ngunit maaayos din yan ni pinoy sa lalong madaling panahon. Imbes na ipambili ng wheelchair ang pondo, inilagay nya sa kanyang bulsa. Dpat talaga mbulok yang si Gloria sa kulungan!
Pinagtatakpan pa na naman si AbNoy BS Aquino. Puro pakitang-tao lang naman iyan…showbiz lang magaling…katanghang-isip lang ang pinapangako niyan pero puro pahirap at problema ang idinadagdag sa taong-bayan.
Panahon pa ni Cory at makaluma ang pamamaraan niyan. Kelangan nang palitan. Tulad ng panahon ni Cory, taas lahat ng bilihin, alang trabaho, pati mga toll tumataas para lang lalong yumaman ang kanyang mga KKKK at mga kampon.
Hayyy…hangga’t kailan ba natin titiisin panlilinlang nitong administrasyong eto?
Mahina talaga si AbNoy. Matagal nang nakakulong si Gloria, lalo pa rin lumalala ang pinas.
Alam kasi ng intsik na palpak si AbNoy. Duwag pa nuon bus hostage crisis, kaya lalong lumalakas loob ng intsik sakupin ang pilipinas, because of weak leadership and kabobohan!
Hwag ka nang umasa. Nothing’s gonna change if PNoy is still going on his childish acts and blunders. Ok, mabubulok si Gloria sa kulungan, and then what?
Just accept the fact that you’re EPIC FAIL. And that “news” is just last year. TANGA lang ang maniniwala kay Ellen Toresillas.
Dapat mabulok si FISHBALL sa kulungan dahil puro TSISMIS ang sinasabi. 😀
hahaha kakatawa ka naman bakit ikaw ba may nagawa kaba para sa bayan natin?? puro ka lang krisistismo sa gobyerno kaya wala unlad ang pinas dahil sa nilalang na tulad mo!
@hero
Criticising the government is actually good for the country. It means that Felipe cares about how the country is being managed by our public servants.
isa kana pala sa problema ng pinas!! alam mo kung bakit?
Ikaw, may alam ka ba? 26 years have passed at palpak pa rin ang gobyerno. Hwag mong sabihin hindi mo alam iyon.
If idiots like you would never exist, then this country can move forward. It seems you love to cling on MEDIOCRITY.
Hwag ka na lang magsalita dahil WALA KANG ALAM. :p
enough about your discussions with your cubicle mates Jonas , Sanjo and Jeks while the 3 of you play spin the bottle. Fishtroll/ Kris for someone who claims we are not significant you are always here.
magkano binayad ni Corona sayo
@Fishball
That post gave me cancer.
Iyan ang tinatawag na BOBO. Grabe, ang galing mo, bord. 😛
@Fishshit
Magkano ba binayad sa iyo ni panot?
In your previous comment it was GMA, now Corona??? MOVE ON!
@Fishball
Naniwala ka naman kay Ellen Tordesillas. Another baseless accusation. Give us something more credible than that link.
How much time and resources do you think the PCG is spending monitoring your posts Ilda? I am very sure the spokesperson as well as the deputy is loving your writing!!
@scarletpro
Looks like the entire Malacanang communication team is here. They are that insecure. 😉
@fishball
That’s the most absurd conspiracy theory I’ve ever heard in my entire life!
By the way, when you said GMA sold our sovereignty, are you speaking metaphorically or literally? I never bothered to read the link you posted because just reading your post rendered me dumb for its sheer stupidity.
I detect severely high stupidity levels from your post fishshit. Requesting immediate deletion of this stupid troll’s posts.
“There is already speculations that Gloria is to be blamed for the take over of China.
SPECULATIONS-To assume to be true without conclusive evidence
You fail again stupid troll
Fishball/ Kris is proof the mental makeup required to support BS Aquino . Noynoy supporters should be pitied and pathetic Fishball is manifestation of such pity recipients .
I pity on the thousand of fools (particularly YOU) who believed on the demon named ELLEN TORDESILLAS.
“Philippines, take control! Take control of your country! Behold, the instrument of your liberation! Identify yourself to the world!”
*bombs explode everywhere*
Because of morons like you, birdbrain, there will always be allegations that Gloria was responsible for all the ills of this country. Even the ones that are your Dummführer (stupid leader)BS Aquino’s fault.
i don’t mean to sound rude but actually these Spratly Islands,Scarborough Shoal and Sabah issues are on going in the past even before Macapagal all those presidents dealt with papers and contracts but Nonoy have to be aggressive and goes on talking about war with china and asking US about our mutual-defense treaty if ever we are going to be at war with China. Which made China scared, so China also scare us with their cutting off economic bla bla to us…
you do know that the site you gave is a blog.
http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/the-potential-war-beween-china-and-the-philippines-that-the-u-s-is-being-snared-into-that-americans-know-little-about/
(there you go, not a blog but a news.) see who started it 🙂
This may sound too far out, but let’s try to look at things from a wider perspective. Whatever complications we are in, political or economic, are effects of a changing world order in a post Cold War setting.
The end of the Cold War saw the break up of the Soviet Union and the shift of economic thought and policy in China. From the shambles of Mao’s socialist revolution, a new state capitalist China emerged to challenge western economic powers. While the United States and other powers were busy expending resources in wars in the Middle East, China gradually invaded and controlled markets with cheap products, eventually threatening Western capitalism in its own game. On the other hand, while the United States and Europe have begun experiencing economic difficulties, China, with its large population and resources, has presented itself as a market for products not only of rich nations, but more significantly of third world countries. The restructuring of economic relationships must necessarily result in political reconfigurations.
So, I guess we must go beyond the simplistic view of a “corrupt” Gloria being hounded by a “vindictive” Noynoy and appreciate the operative forces behind the troubles that afflict the nation. While we may not have definitive answers, perhaps by asking questions we can make a deeper examination of the state of our nation today:
Have we noticed that there are two major business groups in the country, one of which is connected to China, and the other to the West? Have we noticed that these two factions have taken opposing views and stands on several economic and political issues? Have we noticed that Gloria’s political woes started when she openly played the China card? Have we noticed that the ZTE and Northrail controversy involved China? Have we noticed a radical shift in foreign policy, that which antagonizes China, and kowtows to the United States, when Noynoy took over? Is it not a source of wonder that while Noynoy is talking about sovereignty in the China Sea dispute, negotiations are under way for a sub-state in Mindanao? Is it possible the control of the Supreme Court is necessary to get favorable rulings on foreign policy and other constitutional issues, like military treaties?
There are many other questions, but one cannot help but think the dots are connected.
Indeed, there are many dots to be connected, and one is hard-pressed to substantiate how valid any connections made are. So describes the challenge we need to step up to as political commentators in the face of a small clique of media organisations who shape public opinion around an even smaller set of shrink-wrapped notions of who and what is “bad” and “good” in Philippine society.
@Koskos
Your conspiracy theory is certainly much better than fishball’s. You prove that you have given this much thought and not just swallowed the opinion of columnists like Ellen Tordesillas.
The west is largely to blame for China’s rise to number two. If not for corporate greed, there would not be a need to outsource labor to them. Because of their insatiable need for bigger profits, they have made China more powerful than ever. Outsourcing forced major manufacturing companies in first world countries to close down. This resulted in unemployment and eventually, recession. Now the world is at the mercy of countries like China because the people have become addicted to cheap products. We can only hope the internal conflict and public dissent in China can help slow down their rise to the top of the food chain.
We cannot ignore the fact that some members of the Filipino-Chinese community can easily shift their allegiance to China when the sh*t hits the fan. And who knows? BS Aquino may be cooking something the public is not privy to. Heck, even his staff might not even know what his family is ultimately planning to do about this diplomatic row. After all they have more to lose than ordinary citizens. It is not too farfetched to think that they could be negotiating with another group.
Fishball has a theory? Tsk, tsk tsk…
Noynoy Aquino simply lacks the determined leadership; diplomatic skill; and resolve to protect Philippine territories. Now, some of the contested islands are being grabbed by the Chinese. We blame this stupid President for his inaction to do the right thing…he is just simply afraid and is clueless. His advisers and handlers are facing a problem, that cannot be solved by Press Releases, YellowTard Media and “Hakot” Demonstrators. The problem is facing them. And, they don’t know how to solve it…Hindi katulad ng EDSA ito, the enemy can shot back…hindi makuha sa bluffing…
The clock is ticking. Soon PNoy won’t be able to hide behind the skirts of his yellow media trash.
Fishball
Definition: A stupid a$$ troll who always posts retarded yellow propaganda and always blames GMA for problems that PNoy obviously did in his term; Troll who is a stupid sack of sh!t; Troll who doesn’t have any legit evidence to show when he/she/it is asked to present any.
how can you compare our navy with the russians ilda? thats just ignorant. next week you’ll say why cant we send people to space since russia can do it. learn first.
its not about guts, its about the hardware. is your argument that if we cannot do something the russian military can, our president is spineless?
well… our BRP Goyo can supposedly do what the Russians did at that trawler… trawler lang yan eh, hindi warship ang kabanga niya…
the only thing that is sad here is that, kahit madakip ang mga poachers na iyan… they can still go out scot-free… courtesy of your favorite customs bureau…
gusto ni ilda na mag ala russia ang pilipinas para magkaroon ng mabigat na dahilan ang tsina na atakihin ang pilipinas…
Why don’t you read the article about Russia and tell me if they were invaded by China? Since the Chinese fishermen were said to be trespassing, the Russians had the right to arrest them.
at kayang tapatan ng russia ang armas ng tsina… sinubukan ng philippine coastguard arestuhin ang mga “illegal na mangingisdang intsik” nag padala ng hukbong pang dagat ang tsina para alalayan ang kanilang mga kababayan… bakit hindi ginawa ng tsina ang ganoon noong inaresto ng mga ruso ang kanilang mangingisda? magkumapra ka ng dalawang patas hindi tulad ng dilis at balyena.
Well, they shouldn’t give up just because China sent more ships to assist the illegal fishermen. Our coast guard has to be more vigilant. We need to increase our presence there too. The Philippine government should deploy military helicopters to use as surveillance in the absence of additional navy vessels. President BS Aquino should put this problem at high priority. Unfortunately, he is not doing enough to help ease the tension.
@jaks
Just because our navy is smaller than Russia’s doesn’t mean we cannot arrest those who trespass Philippine waters.
Focus, please. Focus. 😉
Britain and Japan’s navy once allowed them conquest of territories twice their size.
That speaks to their commitment to an ideology. Also they have the privileged of being pioneers. I guess what we’re trying to point out here is the quality of the armed service and defense.
Cue ‘Rule Britannia’.
Noynoy is to blame. He put the entire country and its Asean neighbors in danger of having a shooting match with a superior foe. Based on chronological events as reported including the yellow media, Noynoy started it all. The least we could do is tie Noynoy in a long range rocket together with his entire crew of spokesmen and some cache of illegal drugs and blast it off towards Beijing.
In that place no bleeding hearts will oppose jf ever the “central Committee” imposes the death penalty on each of them.
Noynoy is to blame. He put the entire country and its Asean neighbors in danger of having a shooting match with a superior foe. Based on chronological events as reported by the yellow media, Noynoy started it all. The least we could do is tie Noynoy in a long range rocket together with his entire crew of spokesmen and some cache of illegal drugs and blast it off towards Beijing.
In that place no bleeding hearts will oppose jf ever the “central Committee” imposes the death penalty on each of them.
Ilda,
With regards to diplomatic solution, it is apparent that all China wanted was the two nations to settle the dispute by themselves. But NOOOOOO, PNoy just had to do saber-rattling and convince every other south-east asian country that our business is their business. Most disturbing is that he’s looking for a skirt to hide under by asking for the United States to intervene.
Perhaps his strategy for dealing with tense situations is to ignore them until they go away. Which is normally how he has dealt with things, like critics, here.
It’s also disturbing to think that because the Chinese government had high regard for GMA, that possibly makes them an enemy in BS Aquino’s eyes.
@FA
China does not want the UN involved because they know that the UN is heavily funded by the Americans. GMA was able to woo the Chinese in the past but unfortunately, BS Aquino does not have the diplomatic skill to do it.
Ilda, you hit the nail on the head as always. But I dare say that the bad blood started way before Pnoy’s term even begun, and can be traced to the days of the aborted ZTE-NBN deal. ZTEC is a Chinese state-controlled corporation and it is common knowledge that high ranking Party members or their relatives are routinely rewarded with executive positions in these state-owned or controlled corporations. In Confucian society loss of face borders on the sacrosanct, it isn’t a matter to trifle with as we, Filipinos, are wont to do. One can just imagine the chagrin and the subsequent loss of face these Party officials had to endure when the ZTE-NBN deal was scuttled. And, it didn’t help that Cory figured prominently – too much, I suppose, for Party officials to ignore and forget – in the ill-fated deal. In its wake, the stage was set for an unfolding drama featuring the aggrieved Party officials and the upcoming Philippine president. As you mentioned the start of Pnoy’s term was marked by the Luneta hostage taking incident; bad feng shui comes to mind… seems like fate had set him on a collision course with his kith and kin from the mainland.
Yes, Pnoy clueless and tactless as ever managed to step on a few more toes when he rescinded and suspended some of the contracts signed during GMA’s term. Again like ZTEC, SINOMACH is a state-owned corporation and invariably its top echelons packed with Party officials. Band this Party officials from ZTEC and SINOMACH together and you get a critical mass of aggrieved, antagonistic, and vengeful Party members who can influence and steer the foreign policy decisions of the Central Committee vis-à -vis the Philippines. Can it be that the tipping point came when the Philippine government arbitrarily scrapped the Northrail project? Is it just me or what? But, the decision to let Philippine banana exports rot in Chinese ports and the travel cancellations of the Chinese tourists reeks of malicious personal vendetta because these rather bizarre moves are unheard of in diplomatic circles. It isn’t improbable for the aggrieved ZTEC/SINOMACH clique to be responsible for all our troubles in Scarborough shoal, is it? Let me answer that myself, yes, it is – wounded pride and 30 year supply of oil is reason enough.Too bad for us Pnoy is playing into the hands of the Chinaman.
Btw a great read and an eye opener. Kudos!
Hi bubi78
Thanks for the valuable input as well. Yes, most Chinese corporations have the backing of the Chinese government and any international deals are heavily monitored. I’m sure they do not regard us very highly now after the aborted ZTE-NBN deal. I can’t imagine why they would still consider us as business partners in the future. Ang labo kausap!
BS Aquino is not thinking of the nation’s interests after all. He does not even have staff members who can analyse the political climate in China. If he had, he would have dealt with the Chinese a lot better than this. He is too preoccupied with practicing his speech and how to fool the public. What a shame!
And here is MSM focusing on the amok in Denver as opposed to the charlie foxtrot back home…
I have been a follower of GRP post for some time now and I felt I had to share my thoughts too, to make my following complete. Lest I be misconstrued as taking sides in this debate, let may make it very clear, that in the spirit of healthy and intelligent exchange advocated by GRP Post, I share my views from a sober and unemotional stance that we might put the fishball types in their proper place–the dustbin for the idea-challenged. That said, I thought perhaps I should also present things viewed from different directions, that we might strive to separate the grain from the chaff.
While for the past several decades after the termination of the military bases agreement with the US the country has tried to maintain an independent foreign policy, the balance of power in Asia has remained delicate. Any diplomatic or economic initiative that the Philippines does will inevitably be placed under close scrutiny by both sides of the world power equation. The country’s leadership has to walk the diplomatic tightrope, if it must look after the national interest.
It appeared that the centerpiece of the foreign policy of the GMA government was a building of closer ties with China. Other than strengthening economic ties, she went into joint exploration agreements with China in the South China Sea, and received assistance for the AFP. It is not entirely impossible therefore that alarm bells would be raised among the powers across the global political divide. It did not help any that Gloria had to pull Philippine troops out of Iraq, a move that could have been interpreted as a defiant gesture drawing confidence from a growing relationship with an alternative patron. It was not remote that a growing desire for a more “West-friendly†leader began to take shape at this time.
For instance, we might say that the security implications of a national broadband network to be provided by China was not lost on the West, particularly the United States who has military treaties with the Philippines. From the US viewpoint, the issue of corruption in the ZTE deal might not be their foremost concern, but among other things, it provided a strong ingredient in the formula to get Gloria out of the picture. The next formula would be a right mix for a “friendlier†new leader.
What I am trying to say is that perhaps we should look at the contrasts between Gloria and Noynoy from this view of global politics, media prattle notwithstanding. It would be naive for us to think that the United States or China would not try to influence local politics, or that local politics would not try to win concessions from global power players, not unlike our own domestic politics.
Or perhaps, all politics, for that matter.
@Koskos
Correct me if I’m wrong but you seem to be implying that the West perceived GMA’s policies as being pro-China. Pulling out of Iraq was not an act of defiance but simply an attempt to please the Filipino public. BS Aquino was also perceived to be trying to suck up to China at the beginning of his term when the Phil government snubbed the invitation to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway for the imprisoned Chinese scholar and activist Liu Xiaobo. Some said that decision had something to do with the pressure from Beijing. When the Chinese activist won the Nobel Peace Prize, China had been expressing its outrage against it and labeled it a “display of arrogance and prejudice against a country that has made the most remarkable economic and social progress.” It was also an attempt by the Aquino administration to appease China over the Mendoza Hostage fiasco on the 23rd of August 2010.
But now BS Aquino is blatantly crying out for help from the West, which is obviously not making China happy. He is not the kind of leader who can “walk the diplomatic tightrope, if it must look after the national interest.” The Philippines have always had America to rely on in times of crisis. This is despite futile attempts of some so-called Filipino patriots who insist that we should keep Uncle Sam out of our shores. Our lukewarm relationship with the West is enough reason I suppose not to burn bridges with the other super-â€friendâ€, China especially, who for some time now has been flexing her muscles.
Exactly my point: we have a president who seems to be completely in the dark about national interest in relation to global configurations. In this day and age when conflicts are better resolved through bilateral talks, he makes a hard-line stance hoping his tantrums would whip up regional support, and lead the United States to make a strong stand behind him. Why, he cannot even stir up nationalist sentiments among Filipinos to take up his cross.
The clumsy attempt at explaining the Philippine boycott of the awarding of the Nobel Prize award for Chinese activist Liu Xiaobo did very little to appease China over the Luneta hostage fiasco. That during all this time the Philippines did not have an ambassador to China told a lot about Noynoy’s cavalier attitude towards rebuilding damaged relations. Evidently he is no tightrope walker.
Yes, GMA’s policies were perceived as pro-China. Several articles published by the Heritage Foundation called attention to those. True, pulling out of Iraq to save Angelo de la Cruz’s neck was done to appease the public, but the decision must have been weighed lengthily against possible ridicule, if not resentment and backlash from the Coalition of the Willing. That the decision was made at a point when Chinese-Philippine relations seem to be at its closest did not help any to assuage the impression that the GMA government had a fallback option in a rising new partner.
Anyway, let’s raise our finger to the wind and see which way it blows. I’m glad, though, I found this forum. Congratulations.
Clumsy indeed, like the way presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda responded to the observations made by Human Rights Watch that his administration has not yet applied satisfactory effort towards addressing human rights issues in the country. Rather than show a bit more introspection, he assumed the usual defensive posture characteristic of a no-results administration…
Yeah, the same judiciary the SOB’s had just emasculated.
It is almost a year since this incident has happened and now we have yet another crisis because of Aquino’s bumbling but this time with the taiwanese.
It is almost as if incompetence seems to be the main modus operandi of this administration when it comes to foreign affairs.
This time however, Aquino won’t be able to pin the blame on GMA anymore since it is after all, HIS fault for letting this escalate quickly.
Malacanang trolls are powerless to hide this fact from the public.
wow. kung makapag husga ng presidente, its like they know it all from their minds how to decently ‘run’ this country.
alright, since you see all the incompetency our current president has, and you ‘know’ what to do… why not run for president? why not show us all your intellectual superiority in running this country @ilda,@binign0? 🙂
i mean. surely the way you talk/write i believe you can turn this very country of ours into a 1st world country in 1 term eh? I’m for sure can’t do that. that high standards you guys always want from the president.
all i can do is help in my own little way, as a lil’ol citizen.
i doubt aangal kayo dun sa idea na iyon yes?
i mean, cmon.. all of those countless articles you published against the current admin,im pretty sure you can do it for the country. yes? 🙂
sarcasm aside: criticism does have a limit. when you go over that limit, you are pulling that subject down…
think about dear readers of GRP.
There are guys like Gordon and Gibo, which what the Philippines need: A CONCRETE VISION.
Nothing is going to change if we still run a system where familial last names matter and celebrities/athletes who get popular and pitch money to the poor to make things better.
If you’re on dumbing down on your fellow Filipinos, then go ahead. Keep on destroying this country by encouraging everyone by not being intelligent. I’m not sarcastic either.
Think about it, trollfag. 😛
@jay
“the philippine economy has out grown china’s economy”
Wow, where are your facts? My facts are here staring you in the face… poverty is worse than ever, unemployment/underemployment, increased, prices of prime commodities increased.
Taga saan planeta ka ba?
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-16/philippines-trails-neighbors-on-poverty-fight-chart-of-the-day.html
Outgrown? OUTGROWN? Saan mo naman nabasa na mas maunlad pa tayo kaysa sa China ngayon? And then your next sentence proves otherwise.
So ibabalik ko lang sa iyo ang sinabi mo: Know your facts and shut your mouth.
3 years have passed and this president still is to blame for our current situation against the chinese.
No matter what the malacañang trolls would claim, their boss will forever be associated with failure.
Philippines is truly under Chinese businessmen and Chinese spay.
Have you remember that there is once Chinese Tourist who harass one of Abnoys sister before? And what did we do? Nothing! It’s because we are all infiltrated with Chinese spay that handles our politicians. Look how many illegal Chinese who comes to the country and build a very big drug laboratory. How many illegal Chinese selling out all over the Philippines especially in Metro Manila. Where they don’t even pay taxes and trying to deteriorate the economy of the country. This Chinese people in the Philippines should be shout alive in the street. We should throw out this people out of our lands. Did anyone remember when China issue a passport which inscribe the South China Sea as part of there maps? And Abnoy said, we will not accept Chinese passport with that maps. And what happen? Nothing! Abnoy was been white washed by the Chinese Imperialist itself. And this Filipino People who are Communist Activist like NPA. They are fully funded by China in order to protest against US in helping the Philippines to strengthen our defence forces. We should shoot this kinds of people during there anti US Campaign. Or we shall put them in Spartly Islands to use them as the front lines of out defence. We should put 1st in line those people who is against our government progress so that we prosper as a nation not as a puppet by Chinese Imperialist.
I dont trust you now Noynoy you keep on blaming gloria – you have a lot of problem to be left after may election then what so , the next president will also keep on blaming on you and put you in jail . what government we have here , we have a lot of mistake in selecting our leader. Vote wise please
OFW.