Duterte says US will ‘have to pay’ to keep VFA

 If the United States wants to keep the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the Philippines, it will “have to pay” because the country faces grave risks should hostilities break out between the United States and China, President Duterte said on Friday.

“I’d like to put on notice if there’s an American agent here. From now on, you want the Visiting Forces Agreement done, you have to pay. It’s a shared responsibility but your share of responsibility does not come free because, after all, when the war breaks out, we all pay,” Mr. Duterte said at Clark, Pampanga province, where he inspected the newly acquired aircraft of the Philippine Air Force.

Source: Inquirer 

FLASHBACK Delfin Lorenzana confirms in 2017: Scarborough Shoal is America's Red LIne

In February 2017, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana confirmed the US red line. Lorenza explained, “The Americans, that’s their red line. Red line meaning you can’t do that there, so they (China) did not do it.” Of course, China has not given up on its plan to build on Scarborough Shoal.

Source: Inquirer 

Duterte Was 'Apologetic' When He Brought Up Spratly Islands With China's Xi

On Sunday, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo quoted Duterte as telling Xi, “I didn’t want to alarm you with what I’m about to raise because of your problem in Hong Kong, which is why I’m asking for forgiveness, but I need to say this because I promised my countrymen.” The Chinese leader’s response, according to Panelo was, “I understand, and I am OK with it” while continuing to deny the arbitral ruling.

From the International Business Times.


UPDATE: But PHL Foreign Secretary says it did not happen.

Damage control. I trust Panelo more on this one.

Foreign Sec. TeddyBoy Locsin: West PH Sea gas exploration has to be with China 'unless other people step up'

The Philippines has to explore with China oil and gas reserves believed to be sitting deep beneath the West Philippine Sea "unless other people step up," Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Wednesday. 

Manila and Beijing, during President Rodrigo Duterte's visit to China last week, signed a deal on joint oil and gas exploration, and another on the Belt and Road infrastructure push, noted Locsin during a budget briefing before the House of Representatives' appropriations committee. 

“We’re gonna have to do it with China unless other people step up the way Shell stepped up in Malampaya before,” Locsin said, referring to the gas field off Palawan where Shell Philippines Exploration BV leads the operating consortium. 

Abs Cbn reports.

FLASHBACK: China warns Philippines to prepare for WAR if Manila drills for oil in South China Sea

Meaning, Xi will go to war against the Philippines if we drill for oil on our own without China's permission.

 

The Case for Impeaching Duterte

So China won't allow Duterte to be removed from office, but what if China is the reason Duterte gets ousted?

#impeach16

‘How long can we take the bullying of China?’ – Lacson

from the Inquirer:

MANILA, Philippines— How long can the Philippines take China’s bullying?

Senator  Panfilo  Lacson did not mince words on Tuesday when he branded as “bullying” the ramming and sinking of an anchored Philippine fishing boat by a Chinese  vessel last June 9 at Recto (Reed) Bank in the West Philippine Sea.

Lacson reiterated that the incident was a test of both patience and respect. 

“Respect on the part of the Chinese government towards an ally which is the Philippines; and patience on the part of our government,” he said in an interview over  CNN Philippines.

“How long can we take the bullying of China, hindi lang sa fishermen; the Filipinos themselves ‘di ba?” said the senator.

Asked if it was clear that the Philippines is being bullied by China, Lacson said:  “We’re being bullied. That’s clear enough. Hindi lang ito ang incident.”

Frontrunner in 2022.

Why is there a Chinese military vessel in Reed Bank?

The question now is, why is China’s military vessel in Reed Bank?

Reed Bank is 800 nautical miles from mainland China. But it’s included in the all encompassing nine-dash-line map, which no other country recognizes.

China has always coveted Reed Bank.

Many years ago, the Philippine Navy found Chinese markers near Reed Bank.

Reed Bank was what China wanted in exchange for the massive loans that it granted the government of Gloria Arroyo who entered into the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) with China and Vietnam to explore that area.

The legality of the JMSU has been questioned before the Supreme Court which has not decided on it.

Reed Bank is not mentioned in the November 2018 PH-China Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Gas and Oil development signed by Foreign Secretary Teddy Locsin and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. But it is the understanding that it is the location of MOU, which has not yet evolved into agreement.


In 2010, under the presidency of Benigno Aquino III, the Department of Energy awarded Service Contract 72 to Forum Energy Plc. (FEP) exploration rights to a basin within Reed Bank. Manuel B. Pangilinan’s Philex owns 64.45 percent of FEP, a London-based listed oil and gas exploration firm focused on the Philippines,

Earlier seismic surveys showed that Reed Bank holds vast natural gas reserves with estimates ranging from billions to trillion cubic feet.

From Ellen Tordesillas.

FLASHBACK: China behaving like Nazi Germany in South China Sea, says Benigno Aquino

“I’m an amateur student of history and I’m reminded of ... how Germany was testing the waters and what the response was by various other European powers,” he said, referring to the Nazis’ territorial conquests in the months before the outbreak of the second world war.

“They tested the waters and they were ready to back down if, for instance, in that aspect, France said (to back down).

But unfortunately, up to the annexation of the Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia, the annexation of the entire country of Czechoslovakia, nobody said stop.

If somebody said stop to Hitler at that point in time, or to Germany at that time, would we have avoided World War II.”

From the Guardian.

Duterte to Xi Jinping: No U.S. troops on Pag-Asa Island

Source article:

In a television interview, Duterte recalled telling Xi not to waste gasoline in sending ships to Pag-asa island.

“‘Why are you surrounding my island with so many ships? You’re wasting your gasoline.’ That’s my exact words. ‘You’re wasting your gasoline. You might as well give it to us,’” the President said.

“I told you I will not allow, as long as I am President, any American to set foot on that Pag-asa. Because I know that it will create really trouble. And I will not allow their arms. If it’s a Philippine government arms given to us by America, well that’s another story. If you want, you can give us a better one,” he added.

But if China does it, it's okay? Ah, maybe because the 2019 midterm elections' over and Duterte is back to his default mode on China.

 “I told him, ‘Did I not tell you, Mr. President (Xi), that I will never allow the Americans to set foot on any of the islands controlled by the Philippines? That we will not start any war and that I will never allow American weapons to be stationed in that island?’” he said.

“Do not deprive them [Filipino fishermen] because you know we are poor. You prohibit us, you will just create the inflation to go higher,” Duterte added.

Begging?

FLASHBACK: China’s Spratlys intrusions connected to Gloria Arroyo deal

 from GMAnews:

The current word war between the Philippines and China is another proof of the continuing curse of Gloria Arroyo on the Filipino people. The latest series of diplomatic protests lodged by the Philippines with China and submitted also to the United Nations have its roots to the controversial Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking entered into by the Arroyo government with China in 2004 which allowed China and later on Vietnam to explore not only the Philippine-occupied islands in the disputed mineral-rich Spratlys but areas that are clearly Philippine territory. The JMSU was signed during Gloria Arroyo’s 2004 visit to China which paved the way for the signing of at least two graft-riddled deals: North Rail and national broadband network with ZTE agreements.

Basically, Arroyo sold our territories to China for crooked deals.

More: Arroyo: I know ZTE contract tainted but can’t cancel deal

 

China wants the Duterte Model in settling SCS disputes with other ASEAN countries

Beijing wants to apply the Duterte Model of finding a solution to its South China Sea disputes with Malaysia. Negotiating a bilateral deal with Kuala Lumpur, that is, rather than a multilateral deal that could involve all countries having an interest in the region.

That’s according to an article that appeared in The South China Morning Post, which claims that “Beijing is pushing for mechanism like it has with Manila… rather than go directly to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.”

That "Duterte Model" is going to get Duterte executed for treason.

Flashback: President Aquino Should Avoid Inflammatory Rhetoric On South China Sea: China Is Not Nazi Germany!

Garbage article minimizing the threat of China from 2015. How much are the Chicoms paying that guy?

Trump orders national emergency on information security; Commerce Department follows with Huawei restrictions

• Trump’s order bars the use of telecoms equipment made by companies deemed a threat to US national security, threatening Huawei

• Move would stymie Huawei’s efforts to expand into critical 5G market, giving US a chance to play catch-up 

from the South China Morning Post.

Mike de Leon drops new docu, this time on China and its “love affair” with the Philippines

Chinese firms could gain footholds at both Subic and Clark in the Philippines

Chinese businesses are still in the running to take over a Subic Bay shipyard and could soon also control nearly 2 square miles of what was once America’s largest air base in the Philippines, according to local media reports.

Philippines Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the government would not, and could not, block Chinese offers to buy Subic Bay shipbuilder Hanjin Philippines, which has defaulted on $1.3 billion in loans, according to an April 25 Reuters news agency report.

From Stars and Stripes.

UPDATE: Compare and Contrast, people.

Trump administration forces China to sell the Port of Long Beach

Oh: PT&T pairs up with Chinese firm for national wifi network

The Philippine Telegraph & Telephone Corp. (PT&T) will put up a national wi-fi service with a Chinese partner.

In a disclosure on Monday, the listed telecommunications firm said its chairman Salvador Zamora II signed a $500-million deal with China's CITIC Networks Co. Ltd. to roll out wi-fi internet connection, digital television, and satellite network services covering the whole country.

Zamora through his holding company Tranzen Group, Inc. signed the memorandum of understanding with Citic's Luo Ning last month in Beijing, forming part of the over $12-billion business deals fetched during President Rodrigo Duterte's latest visit to the Mainland.

Can we trust China? I guess we can experience what Venezuela experienced if China decides to flip the switch and shut down the entire country?

FORBES: Philippines Can Escape From China -- There's Still Time

The Philippines is already caught in China’s web, but there’s still the time and a way to escape from it.

The time is now that its economy isn’t heavily dependent on China. And the way is by saying “no” to Chinese investments that could leave the country heavily indebted to Beijing...

It can say “no” to Chinese investment projects that promote China’s ambitions rather than Philippines priorities.

Why? For a simple reason: the Philippines economy doesn’t depend heavily on China, as other Asian economies do (e.g., the Malaysian economy).

China isn’t the top direct investor in the Philippines --  Japan, US, and Singapore are.
China isn’t the top export market for the Philippines either. Last year, America was the top export market, at 10.6 billion (15.6% of total Filipino exports), followed by Hong Kong ($9.6 billion (14.2%), and Japan $9.5 billion (14%). China occupied the fourth position($8.7 billion (12.9%).

That’s in sharp contrast with Malaysia, where China is the largest export market for Malaysia ($42.5B), followed by Singapore (35.7B), and the US ($33.1B).

This means that Beijing doesn’t have leverage against any “irrational” behavior by the Philippines, like canceling Chinese projects, as it has over Malaysia.

By coincidence, Malaysia’s exports dropped unexpectedly followed a decision of the country’s newly elected leadership to cancel certain Chinese projects.

If only there's some way we can check Duterte. Article here.

Rappler: Foreign-funded? Journalists hit back, say gov't gets funds from China

On World Press Freedom Day, journalists point out that the government's own media apparatus gets huge funding from China

Bridge burning bridges: Why the China-funded Binondo-Intramuros structure is controversial

MANILA, Philippines — It is unclear where a bridge symbolizing the fusion of two cultures—or ties of two states—is leading, as its construction faces opposition from local and international organizations and from some government agencies.

The construction of China-funded Binondo-Intramuros "Friendship" Bridge last year made headlines as the proposed project is feared to overstep the edge of the San Agustin Church’s buffer zone in the walled historic area of Intramuros in Manila.

Encroachment of the buffer zone, required by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, could lead to the delisting of the church and three other baroque churches in the country as world heritage sites.

China don't care. China just want to help Duterte "build, build, build"

Read the rest here.

HUGE: US warns China on aggressive acts by fishing boats and coast guard

The US has warned China that it will respond to provocative acts by its coast guard and fishing boats in the same way it reacts to the Chinese navy in an effort to curb Beijing’s aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea.

Admiral John Richardson, head of the US navy, said he told his Chinese counterpart, vice-admiral Shen Jinlong, in January that Washington would not treat the coast guard or maritime militia — fishing boats that work with the military — differently from the Chinese navy, because they were being used to advance Beijing’s military ambitions.

Significant if true.

Read this comment from a forum:

China and the US are preparing for a war of the sea in the next 5 years or so. The philippines will be dirextly affected by it. Whether we be friends with China or not its just gonna happen. But our side should always be with the allies (US) because if they win we win. If China wins, we lose. Thats just basic common sense.