Once, the late senator Mirriam Defensor Santiago, joked that in case we go to war against China and the latter loses or surrenders, how can we feed their 100 million captured soldiers?
While the joke was far from reality, China will not lose and neither will surrender to a country like the Philippines. It would rather ignore the Philippines, US, Japan, Australia and other concerned allies that are conducting joint military exercises to defend the WPS against a foreign aggressor.
The strength of China lies on the fact that it is an emerging superpower that is trying to flex its military might by constructing man-made islands and getting ready to lay claim on contested islands like the Scarborough Shoal.
I had been to China several times, in Beijing, Shanghai and Xian, where the terracotta warriors were unearthed. I even bought a souvenir of the general and soldier, and for a decade now, are still “alive” in our receiving area. I wish to go back one day to buy another set. I want a life size statue of a soldier on horse and a general to guard the entrance of our house.
China has been a cradle of civilizations in world history, and is slowly taking its position in history as a superpower, by hook or by crook. While we all wish that no war will ensue as a result of China’s aggressiveness in the WPS, we should prepare ourselves for the worse. In the event war will take place, and allied countries do not come to our aid, each and every Filipino should arm their homes and fight to their last breath.
The help was delayed during WW1 when Pearl Harbor was attacked by surprise by the Japanese and left Hawaii helpless to help us against possible Japanese invasion. The Philippines, in just a week’s time, was occupied by Japanese forces. Filipinos became captives in our own country and a “puppet government” was established to formalize Japanese rule in our beloved country.
Others say that in order for peace to be achieved, war is necessary. The rest of the world experienced the horrors of war from Hitler’s Nazi forces and Mussolini’s Italian army. It took several years to normalize peace, and the only country that was spared from the horrors of war was mainland USA. It took an atomic bomb to end the hostilities, when brave chosen American soldiers bombed Hiroshima which took the Japanese army by surprise.
The rebuilding of countries destroyed during the war gave hope to many for a brighter future. With the impending war against China due to issues in the WPS, the efforts to fix our country and others as well, seems to be in peril because of this. While we are hoping that war can be evaded, we should continue to rebuild our country to fight not against an invading army but poverty and ignorance.
No country, while still under the influence of poverty and illiteracy, will be able to develop and become a world power. China, for years prior to and during early years of communism, have experienced this. The wealth amassed through common labor provided them sufficient cash to finance the necessary development through education and advancement of technology. After decades of sacrifices and hardship, they have finally emancipated themselves from poverty and is now a superpower militarily and financially.
Let history be our guide to spare us from the horrors left by previous wars. If at all cost, let us avoid going into war. Incoming generations should be spared from the horrors and ill effects of war. As humans, let us reason together to come up with a win-win solution to issues in the WPS. ||
