Amid the Senate brouhaha and nationwide clamor to confront China head-on, one stark question remains: Where shall I hide? Nationally speaking, where shall every “Juan” hide?
While some senators and generals push a bolder stand against China, others cozy up to Beijing, urging every Juan not to view it as the enemy.
During the Spanish, American, and Japanese occupations, Filipino patriots fought valiantly with whatever they had—bolos, spears, and scarce guns. They delayed the invaders’ full control by retreating to the mountains, where vast forests provided cover and sanctuary.
But in today’s world, where wars between nations are decided by missiles that strike faster and farther, the Philippines, despite its brave people, must avoid any conflict that could escalate into war with another country.
I know every bold Filipino soul will not run away from any fight if needed, but at this stage that we have not yet caught those responsible for defiling our country with billions of pesos from flood control projects, we must, at all cost, preserve every Juan’s life, to be erased from the face of the earth with just one push of a missile from China.
As a nation, now is not the time to divide over our path forward, but to unite in saving every “Juan” from the horrors of war. If war must come, let us send the most corrupt, along with their clans and those who plundered our national treasury, first. In this way, their deaths deliver instant justice, and with no rightful heirs to their ill-gotten wealth, their properties and bank deposits revert to the state.
Funny as it may sound, if war erupts, the wealthy will be the first saved—fleeing under the guise of “vacation” before a shot is fired. You and every Juan, with few options left, can only pray it never happens.
In today’s world, satellites can peer into every corner of the Earth. Advanced technology tracks us relentlessly, clothed or not, even within the privacy of our homes. So, where can one hide?
True bravery, nationalism, and patriotism are far easier professed than practiced. Short of war, and even with allies like the US and G7 nations, would conflict truly secure our claim to the Kalayaan Islands?
While Uncle Sam and its allies have pledged commitment and support, Ukraine’s experience teaches us that such aid is often limited, forcing nations to paddle their own canoe.
We must prioritize the path of least damage, resolutely avoiding any provocation of armed conflict with China at this critical juncture. Should detractors label my position as unpatriotic, timid, or sympathetic to Beijing, I invite them, together with the hundreds of corrupt officials who have undermined our republic, to take the vanguard in any such confrontation toward the West Philippine Sea. Upon their sacrifice, I would honor their memory with prayers and wreaths.
Yet if they decline to lead with their lives, let us instead commit collectively to diplomatic channels and peaceful resolutions, for the present, safeguarding our nation’s future. ||
