WHISTLEBLOWER

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BY ERICK SAN JUAN
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Live bullet war exercises: A prelude to real war?

THE FIFTH annual China-Russia naval drill (that will go on for eight days) started on Monday, featuring stalwarts from both navies in action at the eastern waters of Zhanjiang, in Guangdong province, the headquarters of the People’s Liberation Army’s Navy Nanhai Fleet.

Considering that this is the first time the joint drill happening in the South China Sea, apocalyptic alarms from the usual suspects could not be more predictable – and thoroughly dismissed by the Beijing leadership.

Usually, the joint military exercise between Russia and China took place in the Sea of Japan, also known as East Asia.
What a coincidence that a US military drill named “Variant Shield” (2,000 miles to the east) will also be held for two weeks, with 18,000 personnel, 180 aircrafts and the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier.

It was overheard that President Rody Duterte said any possible miscalculation during such naval exercise in the contested area – using live ammunitions at that – might lead to a regional conflict. Ominous?

But can we blame President Duterte for thinking such a possibility? There are other observers who feel the same.
It is in this context that we should allow and continue our military relationship with the US. Whether we like it or not, our status as a treaty ally of the US did not start on June 30, 2016. With the cooperation of our past leaders (others were collaborators) with Uncle Sam in the name of national security and to preserve democracy, various treaties were signed.

Revisiting some of these treaties will somehow correct the lopsided parts where we are being shortchanged.
Of course, we welcome the statement of President Duterte that the country will pursue an independent foreign policy. But it should be handled with utmost diplomacy, without hurting our existing allies. And like any policy, it should be without bias and always for the common good, not only for the favored few.

President Duterte, if he will do it right, can use this as leverage and his charting an independent policy will be a good bargaining point with the Americans and China. A balancing act that should be supported by the people.
In the course of the President’s balancing act locally and globally, he should listen to the Filipino people who believe in him and in what he can do for the good of this nation. That is, if he doesn’t want to be called a dictator in the making. (To be continued/PN)

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