Ka Mauro described the situation right

OUR fellow 2022 APPCU (Association to Promote Philippines – China Understanding) awardee, Mauro Gia Samonte, had an interesting and insightful opinion on why China designated HE Jing Quan as its new ambassador to the Philippines, replacing HE Ambassador Huang Xilian.

In his column at The Manila Times last December 20, Mauro’s thesis is that China continues to follow Sun Tzu’s dictum that “familiarity of the terrain” is always an advantage and that the appointment here of Amb. Jing is in accordance with his advice.

“Familiarity with the terrain must presuppose the Philippines is America,” Mauro writes, adding:

“Expressed in the quantum of logic, the syllogism goes: Familiarity with America is a requisite for ambassadorship to America. Familiarity with America is a requisite for ambassadorship to the Philippines. Therefore, the Philippines is America.”

Prior to his arrival, Ambassador Jing has been described as a ‘US Hand,’ or an “expert” in Sino-US relations, in relation to his being formerly the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Chinese Embassy in Washington and the other recognitions he received from US institutions while stationed and living in the United States.

Filipinos (read: our national officials) who continue to peddle the illusion that we live in a country that values its sovereignty and independence of course resent such brutal “get-real-words” from Mauro.

But heck, that is how all pseudo-patriots and hypocrites behave anyway.

Further on he adds, “What is needed is a practice that will recognize at long last that the Philippines has not been a national entity, not even a puppet, but an appendage functioning as part of the whole that is America.”

And Mauro, yours truly believe, is correct when he said that the real challenge for Amb. Jing is “how to jump from the frying pan to the fire without getting burned.”

This would indeed be a tough dilemma, and we can only watch to see where this all ends.

Throw in the popcorn and the soda, please.

Abangan!