Atty. Vic Rodriguez
Former Executive Secretary

Sass Rogando Sasot
PhD in International Relations Student in Beijing

Peter Tiu Lavina
Director, Association for Philippines China Understanding

EB Jugalbot Writer
Political Commentator

Jeffrey ‘Ka Eric” Celiz
Host, Filipinas Nating Mahal

Jun Abines
Political Commentator

Prof. Anna Malindog-Uy
Vice President for External Affairs,
Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies

Herman Laurel President
Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute

Ado Paglinawan
Vice President for Internal Affairs, Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies

NO to US-BBM War, NO to EDCA Bases!
Blinken-Austin Get Out, Stay Out!

July 29, 2024

The Philippines and China have just restored peace and stability in the areas of the South China Sea contested by the two countries in a July 21, 2024 “de-escalation” deal that aimed at “easing tensions.”

                The deal has led to a July 27, 2024 “successful” Rotation and Resupply (RORE) mission delivering humanitarian goods such as food, water and medicines for the BRP Sierra Madre’s Philippine Marine squad manning the 25-years grounded derelict Philippine Navy ship at the Second Thomas Shoal.

                “No untoward incidents were reported,” the DFA said in a statement. One of the conditions in the deal is the embargo on construction materials that may be used for rebuilding the rust-corroded ship to a Forward Operating Base the U.S. military has expressed intention to build thereat.

                The DFA said, “The lawful and routine RORE mission within the Philippines’ EEZ is a credit to the professionalism of the men and women of the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard, and the close coordination among the National Security Council, Department of National Defense, and the Department of Foreign Affairs.”

                Only the DFA deserves credit for the successful de-escalation deal. The heads of the Department of National Defense, the National Security Council, particular heads of the Philippine Armed Forces, Navy and the special NTF-WPS spokesperson have been complicit with the U.S. “Operation Myoushu” of “assertive transparency” in the strategy of tension employed since February 2023.

                The present “de-escalation” deal if a second one, the first de-escalation deal was arranged by President Bongbong Marcos with President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in San Francisco on November of 2023 and processed through to the 8^th China-Philippine Bilateral Consultative Mechanism meeting.

                The first de-escalation deal was capped off with the Colonel Li-Admiral Alberto Carlos “new model” that led to the February 2, 2024 “flawless” RORE mission as described by the AFP spokesperson, which NTF-WPS spokesman Tarriela contradicted a week later with a declaration of the continuation of “aggressive assertive transparency” operations.

Instead of honoring the first successful de-escalation deal and the flawless RORE mission, the DND and the Philippine Senate humiliated Adm. Carlos and his team. Now the de-escalation is being resumed again, then Adm. Carlos and his team should be restored and promoted. The de-escalation is affirmed, it has held firm despite disinformation slung against it, this is the setting the Blinken-Austin visit faces.

The Blinken-Austin visit for the 2 + 2 diplomatic ritual comes after much doubletalk by Blinken aimed at the de-escalation deal. Blinken in conjunction with the ASEAN summit in Laos on one hand criticized alleged “escalating actions” at sea by China when it is the U.S. plot in the first place that created the tensions in the SCS, while hypocritically applauding the Philippines-China de-escalation deal diplomacy.

The concern for Filipinos is that while the de-escalation deal may be holding firm at this early stage, it is also still fragile as many elements foreign and domestic at continuously besieging it with fake news disinformation. The Blinken-Austin visit will certainly be another opportunity for the U.S. too put on the pressure again for the Philippine to backtrack from this second de-escalation and, so far, a successful easing of tensions. The ACPSSII along with allied anti-War, anti-Imperialist movements staged a protest congress and forum on July 29, and will continuing with a protest march on Quezon Avenue on the day of the Blinken-Austin visit with effigies and avatars of missiles, a globe with scores of missiles, coffins representing deaths in the US EDCA military bases sites around Philippine towns and cities. The message is: Blinken-Austin: Get Out, Stay Out!

 

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