Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito has labeled Filipinos who are pushing for a diplomatic solution to the South China Sea disputes as Makapili, the term coined for Filipinos who collaborated with the Japanese, when it occupied the country in World War II.
Did Senator JV forget that it was the Japanese and Americans that massacred over a million Filipinos in World War II and bombed Manila to the ground? Japan also orchestrated the disappearance of two comfort women statues in Manila, the only country in the world that succumbed to Tokyo’s pressure! Our senators are now resorting to the revision of history. Recall our Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri going to Spain and proudly telling the Spanish Senate of the 500 years of friendship!
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Ejercito’s use of the term Makapili is concerning and ill-timed as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived last Friday for an official visit and bilateral meeting with President Marcos. Congress even laid down the red carpet for Kishida for a special joint address of Congress on Saturday. The highlight of the visit is the signing of an Official Security Agreement between the Philippines and Japan, which is a first.
None of the senators called out Japan for releasing over a million tons of nuclear (RADIOACTIVE) wastewater into the ocean, and wanton disregard for the livelihood of thousands of fishermen dependent on a healthy Pacific Ocean. None of the Congressmen stood up for the cry of the countless comfort women for justice and reparations.
Corruption of History
Our political leaders seem to have forgotten how the Japanese invaded the Philippines and raped and massacred countless Filipinos during World War II, with estimates going as high as 1 million deaths. The damage to property resulted in claims totaling $8B but the US whittled the reparations down to $800M delivered in installments. The destroyed infrastructure was not all rebuilt. This included the tranvia system in Manila and its spur lines to Antipolo, Montalban and Batangas. The same is true with the Panay and Cebu railways. Manila was the second most devastated city after Warsaw, Poland in World War II. Its residents suffered atrocities from the Japanese naval forces under the orders of Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita to maintain peace and order but instead went on the rampage of killing helpless Filipinos while they mounted a last stand against the American forces.
There is also the removal of two “comfort women” statues, along Roxas Boulevard and in a church property in Laguna, which paid tribute to sex slaves, who were conscripted by the Japanese Imperial Army during the war to provide sexual services to its soldiers. The statue in Roxas Blvd was initially moved to give way to the construction of a “drainage system” as part of the rehabilitation of the Manila Baywalk, according to the Department of Public Works and Highway under Secretary Mark Villar, who is now a Senator.
Presently, the Philippines is being drawn close into the Quad alliance of the US, India, Japan and Australia. It’s interesting to note though, that India has been distancing itself from this alliance and moving closer to the BRICS group, which counts as its principals, China and Russia.
Under the previous administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines seems to have found its Asian identity. Under President Bongbong Marcos today, it has gone back to being American. Public opinion is definitely more in favor of the Americans and Japan but there is no reason for Filipinos to be more hostile to the Chinese, who had never invaded or colonised the Philippines in the centuries of co-existence.
Never Forget! The US Betrayed the Philippines to Support Japan after World War II.
Over a million Filipinos perished during the Japanese occupation and the ensuing fighting for the liberation of the Philippines. The Americans abandoned the Philippines by granting it independence to focus on the rebuilding of Japan as its primary outpost in the Asia-Pacific region. Japan became a regional powerhouse, even threatened to overtake the US economy, while the Philippines stayed a laggard.
The Americans withdrew recognition to Philippine Scouts who fought with the US Army against the Japanese, when the country was still an American colony. It demanded parity rights in exchange for aid for reconstruction after the war. The US also limited the amount of reparations the Japanese paid the Philippines under the Treaty of San Francisco in 1957 which formally ended the Pacific War. Washington also failed to pay the promised benefits to the Filipino war veterans who for the US.
Under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), the US doesn’t pay the Philippines any compensation for the use of the bases, save for official military assistance, which is mostly surplus military materiel. We must not forget also how the US threw the Philippines under the bus during the Scarborough Shoal stand-off in 2012, betrayed our claims on Sabah, and failed to pay our veterans who died for America.
American President Joe Biden said that the US commitment to the defense of the Philippines in the event of an attack by China is “ironclad”. What he failed to mention was such an act requires congressional approval, which is not automatic. And, meanwhile, Filipinos who push for a diplomatic solution are labeled as collaborators or Makapili.
The question really is, who are the genuine patriots?
Those who are for a peaceful solution or those who side with the administration and the US military-industrial complex which are focus on militarizing the Philippines?
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Since WWII Japan has depended upon USA for its national defense and has focused upon becoming an economic powerhouse. Philippines was once purchased by USA for $20 million, has also been dependent upon USA for defense, and upon insisting upon independence became an economic dependent of anybody who will buy their products.
With provencal laws blocking investment or ownership of land by outsiders Philippines economy is stagnant and rice must be imported.
This is reality today. Economic independence is elusive for Philippines.
Beware of Filipino pundits who have no vision for a glorious Philippines future and must dwell on the past.
Alaskan in Philippines
DONNLISTON.co
As reality bites hard, it is tough to tell which Filipino pundit has no vision to uplift a nation that already runs on a hidden rule: Every Man For Himself.
Too traditionalists of a kind need to wake themselves up in a reality that they are the masters of their own destiny. Just need to cut down on parochialism and hand-me-downs.
the white man found no oil, and there was no gold
hence, “independence” for the philippence
Stay away from the disgusting us empire. They only want money. Sickos. Pilipinos in zoos. And the USians paid to see « exotic » children behind bars.
That’s the us. Smile to your face and bleep ya.
stick with china?
Yet Japan is a lot better country than Philippines in almost every way despite being the devastation it suffered during World War II. The US is not to blame for the failure of Philippines, it’s the fault of Filipinos themselves.
Note how Pinoy-style “debate” revolves around which imperial power to “stick” with. Seems there is no concept of sticking up to one’s selves in Pinoy thinking. It’s always about clinging on to one resbak or another.
Stick with the us?! China yes! Stick with track record of real development. Look what us empire is and was. A war monger imperialist colonialist business enterprise. Look at the shambles they left the Failippines. They look at the Failippines as nothing more than cheap sex, illegal activities, and an old age home for retired us war mongers who look Down at pilipinos. Look at the younger loser wasps that are attracted to the Failippines? Why? What is so intoxicating abt the failipines to these us scum? Us is a bad joke of hustlers, buffoons, and morons. Take China any day.
Also, with the current us regime, once again, supporting genocide.
You’re blaming the US for the misery in Philippines? That insignificant country’s failure is caused by the Filipino themselves, Philippines has been independent for decades and look where it got them. Filipino society is horrible and very corrupt, so they only have themselves to blame for the country’s failures.
My comment is meant to Grandpa expats
failipines is not independent whatsoever. Internally perhaps, but anything really important their us war monger overloaded-master calls the shits amigo.
It’s run by the us empire. Keep ‘em down for cheap, exploitable labor for the us corporations and military base for us propaganda fear mongering. Moreover,
Look at the Manila va us war monger health center for USians. Is the Failippines really for Failipinos? Look at the actions of all the vast amounts of us capitalistic call centers for cheap and smiley Failippines labour. Selling bad food products and terrible quality us goods to the Failippines. As us history states Coolidge stated —Ph is a place to sell brown people us surplus goods.
Then the Hundreds of thousand of USian losers back home invading the Failippines for « fun »…. and Pinoy baiting for a $€£. Add in clownish Filipinos Driving around in old us imperialistic ww2 jeeps. It’s an american circus. It’s a feces show amigo. It’s a Mexican-American colony in south East asia.
And where do you base that on, conspiracy theories? The fact is, Philippines is being ran by many unskilled people because that’s what voters want, anti-intellectualism is a Filipino culture. Filipino society is largely comprised of horrible voters, not to mention their standards are horribly low.
Reality is a “conspiracy theory”?
That term was coined by the us empire- the cia as a Psy op amigo. The us runs the show. Anything important is run through Washington. The wasp masters/overlords.
Failipinos run the barangay and dance/sing for comedic relief while hailing junky us war monger jeepneys.
Daily reminder here that Failipinos still do not respect themselves.
Have a nice day.
Jeepneys?! Oh boy. It’s “iconic” blah blah.
It’s like Jews living in old gas chambers and dressing them up with cheesy slogans/names etc.
Or failipinos getting dressed up as Anglo Saxon book characters as they “fellate” their white overlords. No identity. No respect for themselves. So they clutch to former colonialist -imperialist low lifes.
Falipinios.
The pilipinos likely got the anti-intellectualism “gene” from the USians occupation of our lands.
Book of interest:
“Anti-intellectualism in American Life”, is a book by Richard Hofstadter published tracing the American society’s principally degenerate and debased moral center and hatred/disdain toward intelligence/intellectual pursuits unless a dollar sign is involved.
You can’t blame the past colonizers for Philippines’ messes and failures, it’s the fault of Filipino society for being stupid, no wonder they allow themselves to be governed by their own inferiors. This may sound offensive, but who cares if they get offended?
The pot is calling the kettle black?
Horrible Filipino Citizen No Data reminding Stupid No Data:
“You’re resorting to ad hominem in a proper discussion or civil debate? Only losers use ad hominem in a civil debate.”
Can Stupid No Data blame his own inferior self for being stupid if he gets himself offended? Who cares?
Why are you resorting to adhom? Truth hurts? The average IQ ranking of that stupid country says about the society’s intelligence.
That country’s failure is the fault of the Filipino society for having anti-intellectualism. Imagine electing celebrities into political positions, not to mention one senator doesn’t even have a college bachelor’s degree. Why should a person who finished a college course be a yes man to that kind of senator?
I am harsh with criticisms, I am not a yes man.
Harsh with criticisms and yet without credibility.
When you can’t simply follow or apply your own admonition to yourself, how can you be seen as someone credible?
Confronted with your very own admonition, with your own above quoted statement, why are dodging it by diverting to a different issue?
Are you now trying to argue with yourself? Stop it! Embarrassing…
Without credibility you say? Tell that to the researchers who came up with the conclusion that Philippines has a below average IQ and it is placed in 111th in average IQ ranking.
Look at them, they vote based on a candidate’s fame which is why Filipinos are bad voters in general, yet you have someone who blame the US or other countries for the Philippines’ failure while it is the Filipinos’ fault. If they stop being corrupt and anti-intellectuals, then maybe Philippines will have a chance to be a 1st world country.
Besides, why do you comment like you’re offended? And your comment makes zero sense.
You don’t seem to get the point of what I’m trying to convey.
(I’m aware of that above fun fact but that is not part of the message.)
The pot is calling the kettle black. No Data is a pretentious adhom police but does the same thing himself, everytime. Hello Captain Obvious! No Data is exhibit A.
What the word for it? HYPOCRISY, right?
Why does it makes zero sense to you?
Wonder not… only to someone who’s high in arrogance but low in comprehension.
You have no valid point in your replies. If anyone here is committing ad hominem, that’s you, not me, you don’t even say why I’m wrong, so you just resort to adhom. Saying that I’m stupid is a personal insult, do not resort to personal insults in a discussion, you’re degrading the discussion quality.
“you don’t even say why I’m wrong”
With your conceited claim of having critical thinking that would not be a problem, right? Then, use it.
Unless, of course, such claim, in truth, is just a lie.
You still don’t say why I’m wrong, the topic is about that guy claiming that the Filipinos got the anti-intellectualism from the Americans and I’m disagreeing with him because the past colonizers already left the country long ago, and the Filipino society’s stupidity can’t be blamed towards foreigners, but you just resorted to adhom towards me. Did I insulted the person I’m having a discussion with? Did I call him bad names directly? No, I didn’t, yet here you are calling me stupid because you can’t prove me wrong.
In Ph, There is an enormous disdain towards intellectual pursuits. There’s an “aura” if you will, that is a stench of that vestige from the USer imperialists.
Modern Japan is very different from WW2 Imperial Japan. Modern Japan is very peaceful and has low corruption because they value honor that’s why it’s a country worthy of respect, unlike Philippines.