The
headlines can smudge lethal threats our
lives as a nation. We hold our breath when Ombudsman will indict Senators
Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vicente Sotto III for the non-bailable rap of shunting
their pork barrel to bogus NGOs. Marcos Jr. funneled P100 million, Sotto P70
million.
Give equal thought to
compelling issues like China’s muscling even into Philippine and other
Southeast Asian economic exclusive zone waters, writes Gen (ret) Antonio
Eduarte Sotelo in “Who Is Afraid of China?”. “China's aggressive behavior in
the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea to us) transformed the problem from
into one of (worldwide) strategic dimension”.
Sotelo—who? the youngsters
among us ask.
At 6:20 am on the
third day of People Power I uprising, seven Sikorsky helicopters of the 15th
Strike Wing defected. Led by squadron commander Col. Antonio
Sotelo and 16 pilots, they landed in Camp Crame where rebels against
Marcos were boxed in.
“There was a tense silence.
Then a burst of cheering filled the air. Rebel soldiers hugged the crews, and
nuns walked onto the field to give them flowers. Suddenly we had air
power, then constabulary general later President Fidel Ramos recalls. An hour
later, the defecting helicopters fired warning rockets into Malacañang compound
where the dictator huddled with his family and coterie.”
To counter China’s bullying
Vietnam is developing its armed forces based on submarines and small boats—for
“asymmetric warfare” it can wage. In contrast, we are developing our defense
capability based on surface ships, fighter planes and radar—where we’d be
trashed.
“Like us, Vietnam faces the
bullying of China, too, as she has overlapping territorial claims with China in
the Paracels. There is the logic in Vietnam's force development. Submarines
could be deployed undetected in ambush positions across the vast expanse of the
sea, thereby sowing apprehension to the adversary. It is similar to a Vietcong
platoon hiding in the jungle, waiting in ambush for the American patrol to come
by, then open fire, kill and withdraw.
In the case of small boats,
they are cheap to produce in numbers. They could swarm the enemy, fire their
missiles or torpedoes, then withdraw to their sanctuary. Surely, they are
vulnerable but one of the many may get through to its target.
“Korea, Australia and
Japan have taken notice to the creeping strategy of China which impinges upon
their national concerns, too.
We are for eternity in Asia
with China as our neighbor. We have allies but they have their own interests to
pursue and protect. They will come and go as their national interest shall
dictate.
The weak can win and the
strong can fumble. The shepherd David killed the warrior Goliath with a sling
shot. Today, Al Qaeda is fighting without a navy, air force or a standing army.
Remember: Sophistication of the strong carries its own vulnerability.
It would be a wise policy to
let our allies who have interests in the area and who are capable of standing
up to China's growing naval capability do so. We can contribute with a
credible capability for asymmetric warfare. As an ally, we may provide basing
facilities for their forces.
But we should keep our
antiquated Navy and Air Force out of the way. Use them instead for internal
security which is shot through and through. Remember: the foundation
of a strong external defense is stable internal security.
Comments
Post a Comment