𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠. 𝗖𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗹𝘂

THE Spaniards colonized the Philippines for 333 long years, the Americans for 38 years and the Japanese for three years… our forefathers fought hard and millions died in defending our land — the Katipuneros who fought for the ouster of both the Spaniards and the Americans and the guerillas and the Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon (HukBaLaHap) were slaughtered in fighting the invaders during the Japanese occupation.

The war then was Filipinos versus Spaniards, Americans and Japanese who all came into our country to destroy us… to strip us bare of our natural resources and to make us all their indios or slaves. We fought hard, we never gave them an inch therefore resulting to the death of millions of our patriotic forefathers.

Now, we are facing another adversary who would like to again conquer all of our territories. They already established naval and air bases within our 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone… they can be seen in Zambales, Palawan, Bolinao, La Union, Batanes and are harassing our fishermen, bombarded our Coast Guard with water cannons and laser beams because this modern day invader named China refuses to honor the United Nation’s decision in awarding us the ownership of the West Philippine Sea.

Well, China is claiming ownership of what is truly ours… fine. What is bothersome is that there are nine elected Senators from our own republic that dispute the United Nations Law of the Sea arbitral ruling favoring our beloved country. Among these nine anti-WPS (or pro-China), Senator Rodante Marcoleta stands out the most.

Last year, when Marcoleta was still a Congressman representing Sagip Partylist, he said that, “There is nothing (sic) as West Philippine Sea,” saying the area does not appear in local maps as is merely refers to the country’s exclusive economic zone.

He further stated that, “If we think about it, there is no such thig as West Philippine Sea. That is nothing; it is a creation by us. To be honest, even if we read our maps, there is no West Philippine Sea…”

His statement was false and inaccurate as the WPS is recognized in official Philippine documents and maps. What he claimed then was somewhat a proof of his disloyalty to the country — a pro-China stance. I bet 99.9% of Filipinos are in-favor (maybe except for the Dutertes) of the arbitral ruling favoring us in 2016.

But despite of his seemingly unpatriotic stand on the WPS, he won a senate seat even landing in the top 5.

Now comes his antics in the senate. In one of the Senate Commission on Appointment hearings, the good senator suggested that the Philippines instead “give up” the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) because some of its features lie beyond the country’s EEZ.

To quote Marcoleta, “What are we really fighting for? We will offer our lives and the lives of our children to die for it for something that is not even within our EEZ. What we should do is just give up the KIG to make things easier.”

Easier? Easier for our country or easier for China to do whatever they want to make us all look fool? Does easier for Marcoleta means handing to China the $26-trillion projected worth of natural gas at the Malampaya gas field? Or giving up the very livelihood of our fishermen who since time immemorial make their living out of the WPS? Or easier for China to anchor their ships near our shores?

I am not saying that he is anti-Filipino but definitely, he is pro-China. The senator was born and raised in Paniqui, Tarlac…he resides in Rizal province and all his features — height, color, looks, demeanor are all Filipino and yet, he acts as a Chinese defending the interest of a bully nation.

His son, Representative Paolo Marcoleta is also at it. He remarked that Coast Guard Spokesman Commodore Jay Tariella and some senators be at the frontline or be used as cannon fodder if China declares war on the Philippines. He further idiotically stated that those advocating a pro-Filipino stance are the traitors who have put Filipinos at risk and that the country cannot fight for the WPS through posturing.

Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Mechora Aquino, Antonio Luna, Lapu-Lapu and all of the millions of Filipinos who fought for our country are all traitors in the eyes of the father and son duo? They all fought hard against invaders, against those who bullied their fellow Filipinos.

As a sovereign nation, as Filipinos, we have to defend every inch of our territory as if needed, die for it. It is indeed disheartening, infuriating and disappointing that we have an elected member of the senate and congress who act this way — who put other nations against the interest of its own nation.

Senator Ping Lacson is right when he said that the posture of Marcoleta weaken the country’s position. I am pretty sure that every Chinese, even those who are residing in our country, are one in saying that the Chinese government is right in its claim that the WPS and the entirety of the South China Sea is theirs.

In the Philippines? A senator and his son and eight other senators are debating on whether the arbitral ruling favoring us is right, the WPS belongs to the country, the Chinese are superior than us, the Philippines should abandon the KIG and many more anti-Filipino interests.

During the Japanese occupation, there exist the so called “Makapili”. These are Filipinos with “bayong” on their heads formed by the Japanese Imperial Army to aid them in identifying Filipino guerillas and HukBaLaHaps.

I suggest that in the next senate hearing or session, Marcoleta should wear that Makapili bayong “to make things easier” for Filipinos to identify traitors.