Our President’s dangerous “forgetfulness”

LAST August 6, during his official visit to India lasting 5 days, President Marcos Jr., in an interview by ‘First Post,’ a very popular social media platform Indian news channel, and without even consulting Congress, the National Security Council or our veteran diplomats, much less the ordinary Juan dela Cruz, officially dropped our neutrality and recognition of our ‘One China’ policy.

“To be very practical about it, if there is confrontation over Taiwan between China and the United States, there is no way that the Philippines can stay out of it simply because of our physical geographic location,” our President said.

“And so if you think about it, if there is an all-out war, then we will be drawn into it. And I assure you with the greatest hesitation, but again, we will have to defend our territory and our sovereignty,” he added.

And with those words, PBBM not only officially told China and the rest of the world about his government’s change of policy from “being a friend to all and an enemy to none” to active “belligerency.”

Early last January 2024, after getting a backlash for congratulating Taiwan’s newly elected “president,” Lai Ching-te, Pres. Marcos excused the gaff by claiming, he just wants to return the courtesy over Taiwan’s close relationship with the Philippines. He also stressed that the country’s One China policy—adopted by the United Nations– stands.

“The One China policy remains in place. We have adhered to the One China policy strictly and conscientiously since we adopted the One China policy. That has not changed, that will not change. We do not endorse Taiwan’s independence,” he said in the official release by the Palace at the time.

Coming off from his disastrous meeting with US President Donald Trump last July 20 where the US got everything it wants and leaving us with nothing in terms of trade “reciprocity” and further marginalized sovereignty, our President has made another serious mistake when he conflated the need to defend our territory and national sovereignty to that of Taiwan during his visit to India.

Our forging of diplomatic ties with China and the Soviet bloc made by his parents, President Marcos Senior and First Lady Imelda Marcos back in the ‘70s, is, for us, the most important legacy his father left behind. It is this visit, Mr. President, that resulted to our adopting the One China policy. Has he also forgotten about it? Has he completely forgotten why they were in China at the time? Surely not as tourists delighted to gawk at the majesty of the Great Wall of China.

As a reminder, the recognition of Taiwan as an integral part of China is what the One China policy is all about and how PBBM now finds the connection to let our soldiers die for the sake of Taiwan is anybody’s guess.

If being America’s “messenger” to India is the reason behind the visit so he can help Uncle Sam fulfill its aim of sowing division between China and India, we are very sure that identifying our national defense to that of Taiwan, of letting our soldiers die for the sake of the secessionist elements in Taiwan is NOT among the instructions given to our President by Trump. He just made it all up and thus overextended himself.

Our forging of diplomatic ties with China and the Soviet bloc made by his parents, President Marcos Senior and First Lady Imelda Marcos back in the ‘70s, is, for us, the most important legacy his father left behind. It is this visit, Mr. President, that resulted to our adopting the One China policy. Has he also forgotten about it?

Has he completely forgotten why they were in China at the time? Surely not as tourists delighted to gawk at the majesty of the Great Wall of China.

Apparently, there is something wrong how our President remembers things?

He has also forgotten that China gave him the honored distinction of being China’s first head of state visitor last January 2023—when other heads of state in the Global South and the rest of the world are literally lining up to beg Beijing to also ask them for a state visit.

Its significance was immediately lost on PBBM, unfortunately. For it only took one visit from US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the end of that month for PBBM to erase the goodwill shown to him by the Chinese and along with it, our long, historic relations with them spanning centuries of mutual friendship and mutual sacrifices especially during our war of independence against US Imperialism and during World War 2.

We all know what happened after Austin’s visit: increase in US military bases, the installation of missiles on our territories aimed at China and our complete return as America’s neo-colony, cemented by President Marcos’ summon to Washington by Trump last month.

Our President has had these incidents of dangerous forgetfulness but the Filipinos will not suffer from the same curse.

Sad that history would not treat him kindly no matter how he wished this to be.