There is a creeping danger against our democracy. And this is about the existence of a group of former government officials whose allegiance to the Country and Flag is under serious doubt.
Our reality right now can be compared to our neighbor, Taiwan. As you know, Taiwan is being claimed by China as its own. Throughout its history, Taiwan has never been directly ruled by China through its emperors. China’s claim is based on the fact that most residents of Taiwan share the same ethnographic affinity. This so-called racial similarity is what China thinks is its most substantial claim over Taiwan.
While, yes, most Taiwanese may even share DNA with Chinese over the mainland. However, what is most distinct about the Taiwanese is that they differ from their Chinese compatriots regarding perspectives on how to live their lives.
Despite how tumultuous democracy is sometimes, like Filipinos, Taiwanese people have an enormous respect and love for it. They cherish never being dictated to. They love their freedoms.
Since China wants to claim Taiwan as its own, China has poured several billions in support of pro-China political parties in Taiwan. Had democracy been weak in Taiwan, the island state would have been effectively annexed by China long ago. Yet, as history would have it, even pro-China Taiwanese leaders do not agree on totally putting their island state under direct China control because they hate the current governance model being propagated by Beijing. This historical fact is evident during the Kuomintang and Ma-Jeou administrations.
This is now my fear–our democracy is far different from Taiwan’s. Our electoral system is weak. Our democratic processes are patterned with the United States, which makes the Executive the most potent policy decision-maker. History has shown that our electoral system could be more assertive. Positions can be bought. Running for office entails money and most often results in the election of monied yet corrupt people instead of people who deserve it based on lofty intellectual and moral factors.
My fear is the possibility of China-backed political candidates assuming local and national posts. The fact is, I am interested right now to know how many candidates have Chinese surnames and if they are genuinely Chinoys– Filipinos of Chinese blood whose progeny have been staying here in our country since colonial times.
I learned that we allow even first-generation Chinese migrants to participate in our elections. Our electoral laws should be changed to disallow such candidates from ever running for office. Comelec should implement stricter or stricter requisites on the competencies of candidates.
Aside from this, what is most fearful is the fact that several of our political parties are affiliated now with the Communist Party of China (CPC). PDP-Laban, for one, has been actively working with the International Committee of the CPC. I thought this government, particularly the last dispensation, hated Communism. Why is there no prosecution against Filipino politicians who are members of Communist Parties?
The answer is that the Philippine Constitution does not disallow Communist parties. If that is so, then why did the government persecute members of the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas or the Communist Party of the Philippines? Answer–because the CPP constitution says the party’s objective is destroying the Philippine government.
Okay–isn’t the goal of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to seek our destruction, given our strong objection to their territorial claims over the West Philippine Sea (WPS)? Isn’t it that China even rams our boats to prove a point? Ramming a neighboring state’s boats in another jurisdiction is an act of war. Why are we not proactively surveilling, prosecuting, and arresting these pro-China modern-day Filipino Makapilis, seeing that they are siding with a possible enemy?
I think that the real reason why the previous and present governments prosecuted and even executed members of the CPP-NPA is the fact that this local communist party does not subscribe to the imperialist ambitions of China. Those who prosecuted the CPP inside the government, particularly those who orchestrated the killings of Filipino communists, are not entirely motivated to destroy this ideology. Instead, they did so so that they assumed the party representation before China.
Awash with cash and using these funds to organize grassroots-level organizations, who will then stop the ascension or election of pro-China sympathizers in highly sensitive posts in government? What if Congress suddenly finds itself stuffed with these modern-day Makapilis and uses the chamber as a weapon for destabilization? We already saw that happen in 2001 during the Estrada administration.
We know that China desires to have a favorable ally up in Malacanan, so its objective of finally completing its security bubble in that part of the Pacific becomes a reality. We know who among our present-day leaders are sympathizers of China’s imperialist interests. The fact is–they even flout it. They are proud of being close to Xin Jin Ping, China’s president. They are even proud of being seen in photos with the head of the International Committee of the Communist Party of China.
Again, I respect their right to affiliate with any organization. But, when the issue at the West Philippine Sea is becoming severe, with several analysts raising the possibility of a conflict outbreak, Malacanan should not be complacent.
These early contingency measures should be planned and should be in place. We should never allow these people to ascend the rungs of power and sell us to China. I shudder every time I think of this possibility. These Filipinos who had already sold their souls to their Chinese imperialist masters did not do it for ideology—far from it. They did it for the money–pure and simple. Some did it for the prospect of enjoying more political power.
They don’t care if they become political prostitutes of China, oh no. The fact is, they relish it. They don’t care if they become second-class citizens in their own country. What’s essential for them is to own more property, enslave more of their fellow Filipinos, and rule this country with impunity. They think about themselves as our overlords. These pro-China Filipinos have no shame.
Most of them think that they were Filipino royalties–that they are the kings and queens of this beloved land. They truly believe in their hearts that our public coffers are their personal bank accounts.
This early, let us stand against them. We must never allow our country to again be colonized, this time, by China. Let us fight these Filipino demons in our midsts.
Elect truly genuine Filipino nationalists in both local and natonal posts come 2025.
