BBM Seeking U.S Protection will Cost Ph Economically from China - Imee

By Mortz C. Ortigozaa

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – The presidential sister disagreed on the iron clad protection by the United States against the unhampered bullying of the Chinese against personnel of the coast guard ships of the Philippines because it could cost economic sanction by Beijing to Manila.

National and local media practioners pose a question to Senator Imee Marcos about the Spratlys' brouhaha and the progress of the Charter Change in the Senate. Seated with Marcos is Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrad Estrella. The duo are guest of honors of the get together of the Kabataang Barangay held at the Sison Auditorium in the Capitol in Lingayen.
At the back of Sec. Estrella is Lingayen Mayor Leopoldo Bataoil.
PHOTO CREDIT: Zoe Adeur

“Mahirap iyan iyong economic sanction, mamatay tayo ng gutom naghihikahos ang marami maraming mawawalan ng trabaho,” Senator Imee Marocs told this writer at the sideline of the national get together of the members of the Kabataan Barangay she headed in the 1970’s. It was held recently in the Sison Auditorium at the Capitol in Lingayen, Pangasinan.

United States President Joe Biden told the senator’s young brother President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr that the U.S defense commitments to Japan and to the Philippines are ironclad.

“They’re ironclad,” Biden said as he began the three-way talks at the White House with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Marcos. “As I said before, any attack on Philippine aircraft, vessels or armed forces in the South China Sea would invoke our mutual defense treaty,” the U.S President pledged.

Marcos and the Japanese Prime Minister are with Biden to formulate their strategies to deal with the belligerent Beijing government that threatened the multi trillion-dollar trade sea lane there.

The Philippines and the U.S have a military’s Mutual Defense Treaty since August 30, 1951.

In 2023 the Philippines exported US$10.65 Billion or P573, 201, 750, 000 of goods to China according to Trading Economics.

In Hong Kong alone, Filipino workers there sent in 2022 U.S$732.36 million or P41.7 billion – according to statista.com -  for the Philippines economy alone. Filipinos – who could not find works in the Philippines – are employed too in Mainland China and Macau – another part of China like Hong Kong.

Senator Marcos advice the concerned agencies of the government not to side with the U.S and China and avoid harsh languages that could offend the Chinese government.

 She said that Beijing was affronted by the certification of Manila of the 17 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites in the country.

EDCA codifies the conditions of limited military cooperation between the Philippines and the United States. It hands over all operational controls of these "Agreed Locations" to the United States, and allows U.S. forces to pre-position and store defense materiel, equipment, and supplies.

“Sa kanilang Presidente dapat mag-usap usap. Meron silang 11 proposals tinapon natin sa sahig, wag naman tayong ganyan kahit pikon na pikon ang ating mangingisda,” Senator Marcos stressed

The Philippines government she said should resort to dialogue at every level like the Chinese coastguard, lawmaking body of China, and their president.

“So ang sinasabi ko ang dapat we stake our claim in the legal fora that are available among them all the co-claimants, among them ASEAN, also very important we go back to the U.N lahat iyan ang talagang kailangan gawin. So sa pamaraang legal huwag lang iyong note verbal na parang binasura na sa dami at patawag ng patawag ng Ambassador (ng China)”.

She said that we should pursue these steps in spite of Filipino fishermen being harassed by the Chinese coast guard and militia ships in the Spratlys.

Meanwhile, The Philippines may invoke the 1951 MDT if a sailor or a member of its military is killed in an attack in the South China Sea, President Marcos said Monday.

He made the remark when asked at a forum hosted by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines on when the MDT could be invoked amid China’s continued aggressive acts in the Spratlys.

“I think (US Defense) Secretary (Lloyd) Austin explained it very well. If any servicemen, Filipino service man, is killed by an attack from any foreign power, then that is time to invoke the MDT,” the President said.

He said that as long as the Chinese have actually caused casualties on the Filipino side and it has killed the serviceman whatever their designation whether they are merchant marine or Coast Guard or those personnel of the navy vessels, it does not matter.