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Smudged threat

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 MalacaƱang 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.

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