MY DECADES OLD SOUTH CHINA SEA, SPRATLYS ADVOCACY

MY DECADES OLD SOUTH CHINA SEA, SPRATLYS ADVOCACY

The Spratlys-South China Sea issue has been an advocacy of mine since 1971 when, as a new graduate of Annapolis, I was part of a secret mission (see photo of me as part of the landing party) that transported replenishment troops, supplies and equipment to our islands then called Freedomland in the Spratlys, now called Kalayaan Island Group, I was on board the PS-70 (RPS Quezon) where we had a stand-off with several destroyer escorts of another claimant in the area nearly resulting in a sea battle where the odds were against us. I went there several times after that mission. In December 1999, fourteen years ago, I delivered a speech in Congress warning that China was aiming to grab Scarborough Shoal after they stole Mischief Reef in 1995. Now, I predict that their new objective is to steal Ayungin Shoal followed by their takeover of the oil-rich Recto Bank (Reed Bank), as part of their creeping assault on our Exclusive Economic zone and natural resources. I support the move to give the military forces of the US, our treaty ally, access to our military bases thus placing them in a better position to assist us under the Mutual Defense Treaty. I condemn those Filipinos who choose to support China and oppose our treaty ally, the US and take actions that sabotage our AFP modernization program and weaken us in the face of the China threat. Let's pray that these misguided elements get enlightened and realize that it is their duty to rally behind the Philippine flag in the face of the creeping invasion that has been confronting us since the 90's and set aside whatever ideological differences they have against the government.