Divided we lose

Divided we lose | Daily Tribune

China must be popping the bubbly lately for succeeding in throwing the entire Philippines into chaos over a so-called “gentleman’s agreement” that all but covered the issue of the recent aggression at Ayungin Shoal.

The issue has driven a sharp wedge between the current and previous administrations, a turn of events fanned by the opponents of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Some of the more enlightened Cabinet members are seeing through the heightened debate over the supposed clandestine deal.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. believes that forces aligned with China are stoking the conflict to create a smokescreen for China's illegal activities in the West Philippine Sea.

He pointed to the series of statements issued piecemeal by Chinese officials regarding a gentleman’s agreement between unnamed officials on the conduct of movements in the contested Ayungin Shoal.

Initially, China claimed the agreement involved a commitment to remove the rusting BRP Sierra Madre that was purposely grounded on the shoal to serve as a Philippine outpost.

Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque recently revealed a “gentleman’s agreement” between former President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

It seems that Chinese propagandists, with the help of paid Filipino hacks, have exploited the supposed agreement to justify the belligerent blocking of resupply missions to Philippine Marines stationed on the Sierra Madre.

Former Filipino Cabinet officials, some of whom are on President Marcos's current team, have repeatedly denied the existence of such a deal.

Still, the China-sponsored seduction continues to focus on the deal’s specifics, which a senator said would be the subject of a public probe.

Dividing the nation's leadership is easy for the propagandists because of the fractious nature of domestic politics.

With the election season on the horizon, breaking up the resolve for unity becomes easier for the foreign detractors who get a lot of assistance from their paid minions, many of whom lurk on social media.

"While we realize that accountability is important on the issue of whether or not a so-called gentleman's agreement was forged with China regarding the BRP Sierra Madre and Ayungin Shoal, Filipinos must not lose sight of the fact that the main threat to our rights in the WPS is the Chinese government's illegal activities," Teodoro said.

The trading of charges over the issue benefits the country's opponents since it keeps public awareness away from the sea conflict.

Another sovereignty issue in the southern part of the country has been put on ice for a long time due to an unending conflict in that part of the country, which is close to an area of a centuries-old dispute.

It is believed that the conflict was sustained through state-sponsored surreptitious assistance.

Similarly, the WPS issue is being smothered by creating an internal conflict to weaken the political leadership and stoke doubt among the population about their elected officials.

The ultimate aim of the detractors is to make the country vulnerable to external manipulation.

The leadership should know better than to willingly fall into a well-laid trap by those seeking to rob the country of its rightful territory.