President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s pronouncement on separation from America’s military and economy is so unsettling to Japan, other US Allies, American companies, and Filipinos here in the Philippines and in the US His continued verbal attack on America while in state visit to Japan intensifies his seeming personal vendetta against the US First he wanted the US troops out of Mindanao. Then he said something about the American massacre of 600 Muslims in 1906. Next, he said China doesn’t want joint military exercise in the South China Sea. And lately he said he wants Foreign Troops out of the country in two years. He has been building a case little by little or piece by piece against the US in my opinion. Are his announcements unscripted without consulting his advisers that his words after they are delivered would always need clarifications from Secretary Yasay and others? Is he doing this unilaterally without the consent of our people or askingCongress’ approval? He is making new friends but at the same time “separating” from a dependable and proven ally.Is this an “Independent Foreign Policy” the administration has been talking about?
Many of our countrymen want to be enlightened by our President’s actions and announcement in Beijing. Because of the latest events, I am sure that many of us are losing faith in him and perhaps wondering if his “Independent Foreign Policy” is just a cover for his inability to articulate his vision with civility and defend himself from his American and International critics on his war on drugs, and to explain “extra judicial killings” or protect disadvantaged citizens just because they are or were labeled as “drug pushers or drug addicts. In addition, the international community has had difficulty accepting what our president is up to when he has seemingly encouraged people to take the law in their own hands to eliminate “drug personalities”.
I, for one, don’t have any problem with our country being “independent”, or standing tall, or diversify on who our friends are. We can even declare ourselves a non-aligned nation. I don’t have any qualms on war on drugs and actions being taken against corruption. However, President Duterte cannot stomach being criticized on how he is conducting the war on drugs. It is easy for his supporters and others to understand and accept “collateral damage” as a result of war on drugs, but families whose loved ones have been victims of “vigilante killings” or unexplained killings don’t have any recourse in most cases but to accept that the victims were “unlucky.” There is not even a compensation for a wrongful death of their loved ones or justice pursued mandatorily by the government for the innocent victims unless the families affected have moneyand other resources to pursue it. Because of the concerns of our “righteous” citizens and the International community on the “unexplained killings” and their right to be heard or desire to know the facts, the war on words has become ugly. It now appears that our President is reacting negatively against the US primarily, UN and EU for their concerns, and he is seemingly using the China “card” to counter against or shame the traditional friends of the Philippines. We have had a long good history with the US and the UN but it is now being shaken. But to simply do away with them is unwise.
President Duterte did win convincingly against hisPresidential opponents and we can call that a landslide victory. He garnered 16- million votes or 36 percent of all the people who voted or 30 percent of the 54-million registered voters. But his votes represented only 16 percent of the entire population of 100 million. It would have been a “mandate” if President Duterte won at least 50 percent of the registered voters or 26-million votes.
The point that I want to make is if President Duterte thinks that he has a license to do whatever he wants under the disguise of the “will of the majority” or he believes he has an absolute mandate, I believe he is wrong because there are still 38- million of the registered voters who didn’t vote for him. He shouldn’t act unilaterally on major actions and decisions that will affect the long term direction of this country. He needs to be an “all inclusive” President. He needs to consider the likes and dislikes of the 38-million registered voters who didn’t vote for him. He is also their President and by considering their values and what are important to them for this nation, President Duterte would better serve his countrymen and become a true hero for all.That’s how democracy works unless we the people can accept being subservient to an autocratic president.
His tough talk is good but rough or insulting talk is not good for the image that we want to project to the world. Words matter in diplomacy although actions matter the most in his execution of his duties as President. He demands respect from the world leaders but does he also show respect to them? His mannerism when he dislikes other world leaders is shameful in my book. I believe he is not naïve about diplomacy but he is acting like a leader ofan economic and military power against the Western Alliance. Does he need China and Russia to prove his point as being “independent” or just want to build a new alliance so he cannot be answerable to treaties with the UN and the US? What will happen if China and Russia won’t give him all the things that he wants for the Philippines? If he believes that he was shamed or has been disrespected by the US Ambassador, he doesn’t need to ask for his formal apology. He can simply ask the US Secretary of State John Kerry to replace the US Ambassador because he can’t work with him effectively anymore. He has the right to do that rather than destroy our relationship with our most established and valued ally of our country. I don’t believe that the American Government or the American people have ill feelings against the Filipino people.
What if we broke ties with the US and do away with the Mutual Defense Treaty and Edca for good? Let’s say that we become a non-aligned nation and will not take side in case of conflict or war? The US can possibly seize the Scarborough Shoal and those artificial islands made by China in the Spratlys and occupy them to invoke the freedom of navigation right in the South China Sea. Would the Philippines react and be drawn into the war or conflict? Would President Duterte sympathize with China or the US and its alliance in this region? But before this happens, I believe the US will always use diplomacy and World opinion to resolve conflict. They are cautious in many ways but they are always prepared for war because that is their posture to protect their economic and political interests. I can almost predict that there will be a war in the South China Sea if China will insist on controlling the navigation in or over the South China Sea. The US presence in or near the South China Sea is vital to the US That’s why the Philippines is a strategic location for the US to station their forces here in the conduct of enforcing the freedom of navigation in and over the South China Sea and for staging war against extreme Muslim terrorists (i.e. Abu Sayaf and ISIS sponsored groups) in the South.
To be part of the community of peaceful nations, I believe that this country has the role to play for peace. Let’s be reminded that we are still a member of the union of the civilized nations and a signatory of treaties that protect the rights of individuals and the human existence.
Ed Fernandez is a former defense analyst, a retired hi-tech industry executive, and a book author.