Time to take a bold stand in Ayungin Shoal
We have to support the Philippine Marine detachment in Ayungin Shoal. We cannot let them fight alone there. For after all, the President said in his SONA: "The Filipino is worth dying for, the Filipino is worth living for. Idadagdag ko naman po, the Filipino is definitely worth fighting for.” Those Philippine Marines in Ayungin are definitely worth fighting for.
I believe it is now time to take a bold but temperate step in Ayungin Shoal in the light of this CNN article on the BRP Sierra Madre, consistent with President Aquino’s Second SONA in 2011 where he declared: “We do not wish to increase tensions with anyone, but we must let the world know that we are ready to protect what is ours…Now, our message to the world is clear: What is ours is ours; setting foot on Recto Bank is no different from setting foot on Recto Avenue.” I was there during that SONA, still an incumbent Congressman, and gave the President my resounding thumbs up and supportive applause.
The CNN article portrayed our defense of Ayungin Shoal through the virtual derelict Sierra Madre as pathetic. We need to correct that impression. I propose we acquire posthaste a fleet of at least twenty medium sized fishing boats and commission them as part of the Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources. These boats would then be classified as public vessels, civilian, not military, but still falling under the protective coverage of the MDT. Then deploy them in the Ayungin Shoal area, around the BRP Sierra Madre, as the government’s humanitarian, non-military support for the detachment of Philippine Marines in the Sierra Madre, as well as other areas of concern like in Scarborough Shoal. The budget for said acquisition should be included in the Supplementary Budget to be submitted to Congress soon.
Some people are puzzled why there was no mention of the West Philippine Sea in yesterday’s SONA, when there were so many major developments there in the past months, like the Ayungin Shoal stand-off, filing of the memorial in ITLOS and the reclamation activities in the Mabini Reef and other places. A temperate response like this proposal is called for.
We should take a stand within our Exclusive Economic Zone, and show the world, just like what the Vietnamese did in the face of that giant Chinese oil rig, that we are ready to “protect what is ours.”
That’s the least the government can do to support Philippine Marines Lieutenant Earl Pama and his men who swore: “We will use our training to defend the ship. We will lay down our lives to defend this ship.”
We have to support that Philippine Marine detachment in Ayungin Shoal. We cannot let them fight alone there. For after all, the President said in his SONA: The Filipino is worth dying for, the Filipino is worth living for. Idadagdag ko naman po, the Filipino is definitely worth fighting for.” Those Philippine Marines in Ayungin are worth fighting for.
http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2014/07/world/south-china-sea-dispute/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
I believe it is now time to take a bold but temperate step in Ayungin Shoal in the light of this CNN article on the BRP Sierra Madre, consistent with President Aquino’s Second SONA in 2011 where he declared: “We do not wish to increase tensions with anyone, but we must let the world know that we are ready to protect what is ours…Now, our message to the world is clear: What is ours is ours; setting foot on Recto Bank is no different from setting foot on Recto Avenue.” I was there during that SONA, still an incumbent Congressman, and gave the President my resounding thumbs up and supportive applause.
The CNN article portrayed our defense of Ayungin Shoal through the virtual derelict Sierra Madre as pathetic. We need to correct that impression. I propose we acquire posthaste a fleet of at least twenty medium sized fishing boats and commission them as part of the Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources. These boats would then be classified as public vessels, civilian, not military, but still falling under the protective coverage of the MDT. Then deploy them in the Ayungin Shoal area, around the BRP Sierra Madre, as the government’s humanitarian, non-military support for the detachment of Philippine Marines in the Sierra Madre, as well as other areas of concern like in Scarborough Shoal. The budget for said acquisition should be included in the Supplementary Budget to be submitted to Congress soon.
Some people are puzzled why there was no mention of the West Philippine Sea in yesterday’s SONA, when there were so many major developments there in the past months, like the Ayungin Shoal stand-off, filing of the memorial in ITLOS and the reclamation activities in the Mabini Reef and other places. A temperate response like this proposal is called for.
We should take a stand within our Exclusive Economic Zone, and show the world, just like what the Vietnamese did in the face of that giant Chinese oil rig, that we are ready to “protect what is ours.”
That’s the least the government can do to support Philippine Marines Lieutenant Earl Pama and his men who swore: “We will use our training to defend the ship. We will lay down our lives to defend this ship.”
We have to support that Philippine Marine detachment in Ayungin Shoal. We cannot let them fight alone there. For after all, the President said in his SONA: The Filipino is worth dying for, the Filipino is worth living for. Idadagdag ko naman po, the Filipino is definitely worth fighting for.” Those Philippine Marines in Ayungin are worth fighting for.
http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2014/07/world/south-china-sea-dispute/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
No comments:
Post a Comment