(This article was written about a decade ago during the presidency of Joseph Estrada. I’m sharing it with FV to provide certain historical perspective to the fear of some of a shooting war with China which may be engendered by the imminent passage of a Philippine law defining the baselines of the territorial sea of the Philippines.)
Estrada found another occasion to test his wristband1 politics, courting a near shooting war with big neighbor, China. In November 1998, he ordered a naval blockade over Mischief Reef, which forms part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Several countries including China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Brunei claim Spratly, significant for its strategic location and oil reserves. The only permanent inhabitants in the islands are turtles and seabirds.
Philippine Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado called certain Chinese activities in the disputed territory “a creeping invasion” and a violation of the bilateral Code of Conduct between China and the Philippines. China has anchored its sovereign claim over the disputed islands on historical ground dating back to 206 B.C. during the Han Dynasty. The Philippines declared its claim in 1955 based on proximity, and upon the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which accords countries exclusive right to exploit resources in the sea within 200 miles from their shores. Mischief Reef is located within 180 miles off the shores of the Philippine province of Palawan.
Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement that the presence of Chinese vessels in the area was only to make necessary and appropriate repairs to some storm-damaged fisherman’s shelter, which “is within China’s sovereign right.” Mercado however called China’s incursion a “provocative action” and a security threat to Philippine sovereignty. At first Estrada called for temperance and diplomatic solution to the dangerous standoff. But when Beijing ignored Philippines’ protest, Estrada ordered the Philippine Armed Forces Chief of Staff to block the entry and exit points of Mischief Reef. Estrada’s order amounted to an embargo and intensified the tension between the two countries. To diffuse the crisis, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Domingo Siazon quickly clarified Estrada’s order as nothing more than a call to increase routine patrols in the contested area. Former defense secretary Juan Ponce Enrile, who had belittled the Philippines’ military capability against the Malaysian during the Anwar controversy, turned hawkish this time against the Chinese and urged the Philippine government to “take the bull by the horns.”2 And then Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Blas Ople indicated his willingness to “use both diplomatic and military options.” China however remained unfazed and refused to dismantle what the Philippine government believed to be structures for possible military usage that China had built in the area.
A day after the blockade order, concerned Philippine lawmakers were told by Navy Vice Admiral Eduardo Santos during a public hearing that a naval blockade would be an action short of war but Santos clarified that the President did not directly make such order. Santos explained the order was only to tighten up patrol in the area. “The president talked about blocking so that ships could be counted,” presidential spokesman Jerry Barican told reporters apparently to soften the implication of Estrada’s action. Senate President Marcelo Fernan joined the doves and helped to construe the President’s instruction as bereft of belligerency since diplomatic moves were being pursued. Meanwhile, our website was abuzz with posts as to which side the Chinese community to root for in the event of actual hostilities.
Obviously realizing the vulnerability of his country’s military strength, President Estrada backed off from his tough response to China’s intrusion and instead announced in a radio interview that he was seeking support from Big Uncle to augment the Philippine military. At that time there was pending for ratification before the Philippine Senate a US-RP Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) which would allow military exercises between the two countries. There were in fact certain critics of the VFA who were accusing the Estrada administration of using the Spratly incident as a ploy to exert pressure for the approval of the agreement.3
On the first day of the APEC summit in Kuala Lumpur, President Estrada met with Chinese Premier Jiang Zemin for a bilateral talk on the Spratly issue. Estrada however failed to secure a commitment from Jiang to dismantle the structures built by the Chinese in the disputed territory. China could only agree to a “joint use and exploitation” of the resources found in the area more than 1,000 miles away from China. Given such an option, what Estrada’s critics considered to be his “overreaction” compromised the Philippine 200-mile exclusive economic zone under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Estrada should have known that diplomacy or diplomatic bluff is effective only if backed by force, real force, not by some wristband bravado.
________
1 As Asiong Salonga, Estrada often wore a wristband as a badge of toughness. He continued the ritual even as president.
2 The Bruce Lee phenomenon notwithstanding, some Filipinos still think in racist terms of the Chinese as weaklings because their staple is pansit or lo mein, and the Moros as more formidable foes because when they go ballistic they turn into fighting zombies (or what the Spaniards called juramentados, perhaps the colonial version of suicide bombers). GI Joe had the same perception of the fierce Moro warrior. During the “pacification” campaign in southern Philippines, the US Army, to attain greater stopping power, had to change its standard pistol caliber from .38 to .45.
3 The VFA is certainly still a puny stand-in for the US-RP Military Bases agreement abrogated in 1991, marking, according to many anti-bases advocates, the final emancipation of the Filipinos. Anyway, following Asiong’s brush with the Chinese, US also saber-rattled with China over the Hainan spy plane incident in which the Chinese claimed a US spy plane rammed a Chinese F-8 fighter sent to follow it over the South China Sea, which resulted in the loss of the Chinese plane and the pilot, the forced landing of the $80 million US spy plane loaded with the latest eavesdropping equipment and the detention of the 24 American crew in China. Apparently because of concerns over America’s business interests in China, Dubya’s initial tough rhetoric softened up and ultimately the US was forced to say “very sorry” to the Chinese.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Sir Abe,
Thank you so much for this seminal piece.
That is called “pang FAMAS” for a Movie Actor
turned Politician. China will never take Estrada
or the Philippines seriously. They are big in
terms of economy and military. It is like a Rat
positioning to fight an Elephant. What an awful
Play Acting…The Bonehead Actor is really a
Bonehead…
That Erap-of-a-bonehead chose the military-option against the MILF, must not forget that. No one can ever accuse Erap of not caring about territorial integrity.
When Erap moves back into Malacanang come 2010, then maybe the Abu Sayaf/MILF problem will be resolved under his watch.
Whatever happened to the jets Erap wanted to purchase?
I hope Joseph Estrada runs for Vice President. Then he can become President the same way Gloria did. By succession to it through the resignation of the President. But this time, he and his running mate can give the Intellectuals a clinic on how to do it Constitutionally instead of through a coup d’etat involving the Chief Justice, the AFP Chief of Staff and the OVP, a proper letter of resignation will be filed and every i dotted and t crossed. Hmmm, by that time the Chief Justice could be…Antonio Carpio…the very same gentleman who once sent a fax to SCoRP claiming that Erap was permanently incapacitated and inviting the Justices to administer the oath to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He could swear Erap in at the Edsa Shrine for the most compleat demonstration of POETIC JUSTICE in history.
And the restoration of Democracy.
The Hindoos have a saying. A man does not grow up until both his parents die. I hear that Erap cried for days on end after Mama Mary Ejercito died.
DJB,
Shouldn’t Erap getting elected as VP again be enough for you as your “restoration of Democracy”?
Justice League
Enough? It was not when Erap was VP that the Constitution was set aside by no less than the Chief Justice, Hilario Davide ably assisted by the guns and tanks of the CSAFP, Angelo Reyes.
I believe he must also lead a Congress Majority into the next administration, in order to impeach leeches and scumbags like the Ombudswoman Merceditas Gutierrez and Justices of SCORP, commissioners of Comelec, CoA and the Civil Service, all of whom have been derelict of their duties under the GMA regime.
Only Erap has the moral authority to carry out such a restoration. Ironically enough!
Nice, Now I understood some things about this matter.
Let’s hope na walang giyerang mangyari ngayon dahil sa Spratly’s dahil seriously di kaya ng armed forces natin. Palakas muna tayo ng pwersa at wag ng nakawin ng mga genrals ‘yung pondo para sa modernization ng AFP.
DJB,
So not only does Erap have greater moral authority than you and anyone else in that regard but that only he has that moral authority.
What is ironic here is that for someone who claims it was not fair but it was right that Erap be found guilty; you are also claiming that it is only Erap who has that moral authority.
Are you sure about moral authority or are you referring to vindictiveness?
lets take the matter serious, what if the candidates who will ran a higher position be selected according to thier educational attainment,fam.background moral personal of course,aims and personal point of views aspects & plans depending on the position they want have,and what they have done or achieved in the past at least 5 years before launching any candidacy.basing also if the achievements done the past years will have a positive influence to the position they are aspiring for.regardless of popularity.it’s really shameful to elect a candidate for a higher position who is not at all have the capacity or the knowhow of the aspired position. i myself was so disgusted when the president appeared in the tv interview,when my family were watching the sreen during our dinner with some visitors and my president of the Philippine republic can’t speak a simple english language.
Anita and Justice League:
Erap’s moral authority and his greatest qualification for the Presidency in 2010 is this:
He is the only one who never cast the First Stone.
so then not being aggressive as a response to any battle attack or accusation or i would say he doesn’t make the first comment or first accusation to anybody who has done disorder political or public in relation, that such humility,humbleness or what so ever you describe is the only criteria for being qualified as prez.?
“lets take the matter serious, what if the candidates who will ran a higher position be selected according to thier educational attainment,fam.background moral personal of course,aims and personal point of views aspects & plans depending on the position they want have,and what they have done or achieved in the past at least 5 years before launching any candidacy.”-anita…
anita,
done that. before our present president sat there as president we thought she was exactly as you described above; educational attainment, family, aims, the works…longer than spotless five years. we thought we found our “eureka” then.
we’re wrong!
“i myself was so disgusted when the president appeared in the tv interview,when my family were watching the sreen during our dinner with some visitors and my president of the Philippine republic can’t speak a simple english language.”
anita,
i’ve seen interviews of world leaders utilizing english interpreters because they can’t speak simple english language. they’re leaders of more prosperous nations than ours. their people are proud of them.
while you are disgusted for that? hmmm.
anita is obviously a member of the english-suck up society hahahahaha
DJB,
And with that you set aside his ability to cast the fishing rod of jueteng and reel in all that ill gotten money as well as the ability to cast the net to collect commission from ordering SSS or GSIS in order to buy stocks of private companies.
But still this qualification of yours for the presidency of 2010 of not casting the first stone pales in comparison to his “willingness” to cast a bigger stone as well as use a big stick against those who cast the first stone. Specially those who cast it against him.
Before he became President, Estrada made a film regarding Subic. Unfortunately then Mayor Richard Gordon didn’t permit him to film inside Subic itself.
Upon taking the Presidency, one of the first if not the very first thing Estrada did was to payback Gordon for what Gordon did. Gordon got sacked as SBMA chairman though he tried to hold on by sealing himself with supporters inside SBMA.
While Gordon was still seeking relief from the court; Estrada sent in anti terrorist units to evict Gordon and his followers on July 26, 1998.
The SC would uphold the President by October of 1998, but the events show that if Estrada wants it done, it gets done regardless .
In a TV interview years later, former Sen. Saguisag (who knew both) admitted that he lamented how then President Estrada handled the situation. But he was candid enough to admit that the then President wanted to send a message to Gordon real hard.
Your “moral authority qualification” still seems like vindictiveness.
Justice League,
Suppose a Gang of Thieves enters your house and steals your most precious possessions, kills your spouse and children and burns it down, then frames you for the crime and puts you in jail for seven years, then lets you out saying you don’t deserve to suffer any more. As a victim of such a dastardly set of crimes, would you not have the moral authority to bring the Gang of Thieves to Justice?
estrada is an embarassment to this country. period.
DJB,
Framed? Estrada was framed?
By looking at the analogy of it; are you considering Estrada as rightly guilty though he was framed?
Hmmmmmm……..
But looking back at your scenario; yes I would have but then do I have to run for public office to bring them to justice?
Justice League,
I didn’t mean to say he was framed. Actually he was overthrown in a coup d’etat, but you don’t see or accept that either. The analogy was just to explain the nature of Erap’s moral authority as that of a victim who allowed justice to take its course on him. And it did. But now we are left with the huge injustice that was done not to him, but to the Constitution and the people who elected him to office.
However, if he wimps out and decides not to run after the real criminals of the last eight years, which would be his moral prerogative, then we can’t do anything about it and Justice won’t be done in this case.
Leytenian,
Are you proud of Hilario Davide and Angie Reyes?
Are you proud of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo?
Leytenian,
It makes some folks think themselves morally bigger or better when they kick the former President in the teeth. It lets them think they’ve done their bit against Corruption. By making Erap the worst possible President they can imagine, and having already overthrown him, they have only laid a mental trap for themselves in that they are then willing and able to tolerate those whom they only think are less evil than Erap–or have convinced them that they are!
They cannot see what is right in front of their noses–for which they can be forgiven since those are sometimes the hardest things to see.
Maybe Erap was a plunderer but he never raped the Constitution like Davide, or break the Soldier Oath of Loyalty to the CinC like Reyes. And of course it was GMA who corrupted them both with glittering promises that have since been fulsomely redeemed.
Justice League,
In case you hadn’t guessed it by now, Erap was overthrown by Davide and Reyes and Arroyo because he was indubitably going to be acquitted by the Senate Impeachment Court. Erap knew that too, when the Second Envelope Vote showed he had the support of eleven senators. Their geese was toast, so they forked the Gander!
DJB,
Don’t you always claim that Erap knew that he was going to get acquitted? What moral authority are you talking about here?
By the time of the Second Envelope Vote ; what exactly have Davide, Reyes and Arroyo committed already that they had to fork the gander to prevent their geese from being toasted?