East Asia came to the brink of war last week. Re-electionist US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 82, provoked Communist China President Xi Jinping by visiting Taiwan. Xi, long chest-thumping to retake the “renegade” province, obliged her by sending warships and fighters into Taiwan’s sea and airspace. Although the White House cautioned Pelosi against needlessly riling Xi, it dispatched two aircraft carrier strike groups to the overlapping Taiwan and Philippine straits, 77 nautical miles wide.
Under a Mutual Defense Treaty, Manila and Washington are to aid each other in case of foreign attack in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea. Beijing likely will strike Philippine bases if used by American soldiers to help Taiwan. US and Japan have a similar agreement. Four of dozens of missiles fired by China into Taiwan waters splashed within Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Had any of those hit Japanese vessels, full-blown fighting would have erupted.
Meanwhile, the Philippines has been kowtowing to China’s bullying. It stopped oil and gas explorations in its own waters that China illegally claims and patrols. Economic devastation looms as its productive gas fields in the West Philippine Sea will deplete in two years. Dependent on gas for 40 percent of its electricity, Luzon will suffer blackouts. Factories, offices, shops, schools and small businesses will shut down.
The Philippines shudders at the example of Malaysia and Indonesia. They drilled petroleum in their EEZs despite China’s naval threats. The two countries dispatched their own gunboats to escort drilling vessels. At some point, US armadas sailed nearby. China only watched in silence as Malaysia and Indonesia asserted their sovereign rights against bully trespassing.
Malacañang’s stance is to keep talking with Beijing. But for China, jawjaw is merely to distract the other side while grabbing neighboring seas.
The persona non grata status of Banlaoi continued under Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana and NSA Hermogenes Esperon, 2016-2022, sources said.
Carlos challenged Banlaoi’s accusers to substantiate their assertions and file charges.
She acknowledged that President Marcos received the anonymous complaint last week. Reported in the STAR, it detailed derogatory info on two other recommendees of Carlos:
• Mariel Castañeda, who supposedly “does not possess the necessary qualifications and credentials” for Assistant Director General. Purportedly, “her husband is a cadre of CPP-NPA [Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army]. Like Mr. Banlaoi, her hiring as ADG could create security risk for the NSC.”
• David Nye, also as ADG, “who is the current editor of Global Times, China’s official mouthpiece. While we respect the President’s choice of who to appoint as high-ranking officials in the government, we are also afraid that the appointment of Nye could compromise the NSC. Hence, we are requesting the President to reconsider this appointment for security purposes.”
Carlos said she shrieked upon reading the item on the Castañedas. She said she was very close to the scholarly couple and was their wedding godmother. “I hope they are given a chance to clear their names.”
Nye is director for communications, Carlos said. She took him in as a longtime broadcaster in the Philippines who then worked in China and mastered the foreign language. “There’s nothing sub rosa about his being senior editor of Global Times; it’s in his curriculum vitae,” Carlos said. “I don’t think he has a say in the content.”
Global Times is the English edition of People’s Daily, official organ of the Chinese Communist Party. Its articles have been strident against the Philippines, particularly during the 2012 Panatag Shoal standoff between Philippine and Chinese navies and coastguards. Also, when Manila protested Beijing’s concreting of seven Philippine reefs starting 2013. More so, when Manila won in July 2016 The Hague arbitration against Beijing’s illegal occupation of the eight features in the West Philippine Sea.
In the Philippines, America, Europe and most of Asia, newspaper editors have authority over content. They fact-check inaccuracies and biases. To that, Carlos interjected, “In academic writing, to which we are used, editors do not meddle with content but only with style, like commas, semi-colons and punctuations.”
As NSA, Carlos is also director general of the National Security Council chaired by the President. All intelligence reports and security plans are submitted to her staff for analysis. That includes the intelligence service – AFP, National Bureau of Investigation under the justice department, and the Office for Transportation Security under the transport department. “Terrorists can weaponize buses, trains and airplanes,” she explained.
NICA is under NSA supervision. Still, Carlos expected that NICA checked her and her recommendees’ backgrounds.
In designating Banlaoi, Castañeda and Nye, Carlos said she first vetted them for submission to Executive Sec. Vic Rodriguez, whom she anticipated to conduct his own vetting.
Two generals said NICA is background checking only now after Marcos relayed the NSC employees’ complaint. “At least they’re now going through the right process, even if belatedly,” they said.
Sinovac safety efficacy and price still need clarifying
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