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Aquino won't risk PH prosperity over a few "Rocks"?
Topic Started: Apr 29 2014, 10:10 PM (1,486 Views)
Andres Boning
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Aquino won't risk PH prosperity over a few "Rocks"????


Quote:
 
President Benigno Aquino would not risk Philippines’ prosperity over what he called as “few rocks,” amid heightened territorial dispute with China over West Philippine Sea.
:scared: :wow:

Sea disputes are not the end-all and be-all of the Philippines’ relations with China, Aquino said. He added that aside from prosperity, “there should be stability.”

“We have to find ways and means to achieve respective goals if we want to strive for prosperity of our peoples,” Aquino said, answering questions about China.

Quote:
 
“The goal is prosperity of our people rather than few rocks that are not even inhabitable,” the President added, as U.S. President Barack Obama looked on.


This, even as the Philippines in March filed a memorial before an international arbitration body to protest China’s allegedly over broad territorial claims.

In his joint press conference with Obama in Malacanang Monday, Aquino also shrugged off concerns that the new defense deal with the U.S. will also further antagonize its Asian rival.

Chinese and Philippine vessels have also recently squared off near Ayungin Shoal, a portion of the Spratly Islands where an old ship serves as a Filipino outpost.

Aquino’s remarks came after Obama assured the Philippines of support in its move to peacefully resolve its territorial dispute with China through international arbitration.

Obama however said U.S. is not taking any stand in disputes between nations, even as he noted that it is against “coercion and intimidation” to end conflict.

“We have a constructive relationship with China,” Obama said. “We welcome China's peaceful rise. There’s enormous trade between the U.S. and China,” he added.

Manila and Washington on Monday signed the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement aimed at increasing American troops’ rotational presence in the Philippines.



https://ph.news.yahoo.com/aquino-won-t-risk-ph--prosperity--over--few-rocks-091119043.html




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I can't believe I'm hearing this coming from the Pres. of the Philippines????

The Philippines huge "Prosperity" are under those "Rocks", under the WPS Philippine EEZ territory and it all starts there "m???n"!!!!

Again, deception is at work through media, trying to hide or keep it just for yourself and your gang of Oligs to benefit..

This is just for the Country, for the Filipino People's benefit.


So PNoy's comment here justifies ALL and as to why his Govt. have always been "PASSIVE" against China's intrusions, occupation of "Panatag Shoal"??

Just don't know how the real old patriotic politician folks will react on this one? or are they all Dead...?

Is there any grounds for impeachment on this one... :dunno:

As Pres. Obama looked on, maybe got surprised by this particular comment...?
Edited by Andres Boning, Apr 29 2014, 10:44 PM.
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Andres Boning
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I think PNoy have forgotten that as the President of the Philippines, he has the obligation to defend every inch of Philippine territory against any country like China as what stated in the Phil Constitution. if you neglect Panatag shoal or Thomas Shoal then you are a traitor against Philippines and Filipino people and favour your Chinese ancestor in disguise of a true Filipino favouring the American President for the sake of Media Publicity.

This particular comment is unacceptable and so anti-nationalistic coming from the President of the Philippines.

Who's PROSPERITY??? As if he only thinks maybe of rich Oligarchs and prosperity of the rich Chinese businessman pretending to be a Filipino, dishonest politicians who doesn't know anything but to squeeze the blood of the Filipino people. :headbang:


Those few rocks that he's talking about are rich in Fishing grounds, where present local Filipino fishermen and their ancestors had been sourcing their livelihoods for decades, but now is lost.. Thanks to you Mr. President.

With due respect, that remark is pretty lame, it may just be rocks but the vast amounts of oil reserves under the surface is the reason why China is positioning itself to get these resources in the future.
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Santi Kampilan
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That piece of rock (Scarborough) is probably the most important rock there is for the Philippines. If the we truly own that piece of a rock that will debunk the 9 dash line scam and literally kick all those PLAN ships plying the Palawan Passage. On the contrary if we do not meet the Chinese head on with their aggressive moves, we can literally see the last of the oil and gas platform West of Malampaya along the Palawan Passage. You can kiss goodbye PNOY's famous phrase " if you step on Reed Bank it's like stepping on Recto Avenue". I hope that was not just a lip service. I hope he meant it with all his heart. Baka pusong mamon/monay.
Like Andres is saying what's at stake is not just fishing grounds but oil and gas fields that stretches from Northern Palawan to Sabah along that Passage corridor. You are talking hundreds of billion if not trillions of dollars.
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Pninety8
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No need to over-react on statements like this. That joint conference has an international audience. The message was made for special viewers, like the international business community, govt analysts, and China.

I wont be quick to brand PNoy as being un-nationalistic or anything, given the body of works he has done in strengthening our territorial defense and trying to win via diplomacy and international rule of law.

My take on his statement is that PNoy and the govt wants to hold on to the a high moral position in its dealing with China. China is already a bully in the eye of the international community and we need to keep it that way. He is assuring the international viewers that our govt remains committed to a peaceful process despite that newly signed EDCA and stronger presence of US troops.

It would be pointless for us to highten the rhetoric during a POTUS visit, which could escalate the situation diplomatically, and in the ground.



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Hong Nam
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"Never push your adversary into a corner when you already have attained something no matter how small. It is a double edged sword and it surely cuts both ways. This is the sign that you all needed - the push to modernize - To start doing things on your own." - Hong Nam



Quote:
 
Obama shatters delusions of many Filipinos
By Ellen Tordesillas, Contributor
The Inbox - 13 hours ago


U.S. President Barack Obama's frank answers to the two questions from Filipinos reporters whether the United States will come to the defense of the Philippines in case of an armed conflict with China over territorial disputes in the South China Sea disappointed a lot of Filipinos who expected him to say that the American soldiers who will be coming under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement will be side-by-side Filipinos in blocking China's expansion in South China Sea.

When Obama spoke before war veterans and servicemen at Fort Bonifacio yesterday about "iron clad" commitment to defend the Philippines under the 1951 PH-US Mutual Defense Treaty, media spinned it as a change of tune.

Media conveniently sidestepped the fact that the MDT does not cover territories in Spratlys. In fact the Monday presscon, Obama said: "And we don't even take a specific position on the disputes between nations."

R.G. Cruz of ABS-CBN asked the question in Obama's joint presscon wit President Aquino in Malacañang Monday. It was followed up by Christian Esguerra of the Philippine Daily Inquirer who re-angled the same question: "Will the Mutual Defense Treaty apply in the event that the territorial conflict with China escalates into an armed conflict?"

As expected Obama made the same reply:"Well, let me repeat what I said earlier...."

The questions were embarrassing because they reflected our mendicant mentality and our fantasy about America. But they had to be asked because many Filipinos wanted to hear from the leader of the world's superpower that he will take care of us if we get clobbered by a neighborhood enemy that is the world's number two superpower.



Yahoo


Bravado doesn't count for anything if you have nothing to back it up.
It's up to the Chinese on how they interpret these words and most of the time, it's better not to "spell it out" and keep them guessing.




Edited by Hong Nam, Apr 30 2014, 04:22 PM.

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Mckoyzzz
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I had a discussion between a previous mod of this forum on his FB page for bashing the President regarding his statement about the "rocks" versus PH prosperity and I think I can apply it here as well...

first of all, the comprehension of the statement depends on the interpretation and assumption of the ones reading the line, and how he wants to understand it... it can be taken as negative or positive...

secondly, Pnoy is answering a direct question in a live press con filled with international media... sometimes we may say something different from what we really meant so we need to add this to the fact... if you watched the conference, even Obama is hesitant, vague and very careful on his statements because of the sensitivity of the PH-China-US issues...

thirdly, he reiterated on his response that those "rocks" are mere rocks and not islands, in contention to what China is claiming it to be... in conjunction with PH case in UN Arbitration...

fourthly, we need to remember that they are politicians and diplomats at the same time, and from my point of understanding, ,what he meant by that statement is that the PH is more keen (priority) on its economic prosperity through peaceful means rather than fight China head-on in a war and be in turmoil, lay to waste and lose everything for those mere "rocks" ... so, we can change that statement to, "It is not PH priority to go to war head-on and put to absolute risks its economy and people in exchange for 'rocks', however' we still insist that what is ours is ours and we have the right to defend our territories."

fifthly, would we still doubt the President's intention on protecting what is ours if we based it on what he's been doing since he took the post, from making alliances with other more powerful countries, modernizing the AFP, signing defense agreements with other countries, fighting China's claims through arbitration, etc... should we just forget everything and all of that just because of a mere single line statement?
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Hong Nam
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Mckoyzzz
Apr 30 2014, 04:02 PM
The comprehension of the statement depends on the interpretation and assumption of the ones reading the line, and how he wants to understand it... it can be taken as negative or positive...

Would we still doubt the President's intention on protecting what is ours if we based it on what he's been doing since he took the post, from making alliances with other more powerful countries, modernizing the AFP, signing defense agreements with other countries, fighting China's claims through arbitration, etc... should we just forget everything and all of that just because of a mere single line statement?

Might I add: "A single line statement subject to their own (personal) interpretation." :scared:

Edited by Hong Nam, Apr 30 2014, 04:53 PM.

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Pninety8
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Remarks by President Obama and President Benigno Aquino III of the Philippines in Joint Press Conference
Quote:
 

PRESIDENT OBAMA: ... And I think that there are going to be territorial disputes around the world. We have territorial disputes with some of our closest allies. I suspect that there are some islands and rocks in and around Canada and the United States where there are probably still some arguments dating back to the 1800s. But we don't go around sending ships and threatening folks. What we do is we sit down and we have some people in a room -- it's boring, it's not exciting, but it's usually a good way to work out these problems and work out these issues.

....

PRESIDENT AQUINO: .... Now, having said that, perhaps -- we have tried to work on that particular premise of building up our ties on different aspects where there is no conflict or very little conflict. And in this particular instance, I have to find the way and means by which we can both achieve our respective goals, which I believe are not -- or should not be mutually exclusive, but rather should be inclusive if at the end of the day, we do want to strive for the prosperity of our respective peoples.

That I think has to be the primordial concern, rather than disputes on a few rocks that are not possible to be inhabited. And I think in due time, given the fact that there's so much commerce that traverses this particular -- both in the maritime and the air domain -- China, which has achieved its goals of improving the life of its people, will see the soundness of this proposal and perhaps will act more, shall we say, consistently and actively towards achieving that stability for all. That is our hope.

POTUS talked about their version of 'rocks' dispute then PNoy followed it up about our own 'rocks' dispute. Its a joint press conference so there you go...
Edited by Pninety8, Apr 30 2014, 04:25 PM.
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Mckoyzzz
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Thanks P... that's what I've been looking.. the full context of their statements... I think the reporter have taken it out of context by just singling out a one-liner...
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Hong Nam
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Andres Boning
Apr 29 2014, 10:10 PM
I can't believe I'm hearing this coming from the Pres. of the Philippines????


If you neglect Panatag shoal or Thomas Shoal then you are a traitor against Philippines and Filipino people and favour your Chinese ancestor in disguise of a true Filipino favouring the American President for the sake of Media Publicity.

This particular comment is unacceptable and so anti-nationalistic coming from the President of the Philippines.


Did he really say that? :scared:

From the same website provided by Mr. Pninety8: Thanks :armycheers:

Quote:
 
PRESIDENT AQUINO: I think from the onset, our message to China has been I think we're all focused on achieving greater prosperity for all our respective peoples, and prosperity and continued prosperity does not happen in a vacuum. There has to be stability. And in turn, they have responded that the disputes in the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea are not the end all, be all of our relationships. And we have had good cooperation with them on so many different fronts, and perhaps one could even argue that this is the only sore point in our relationship.

Now, having said that, perhaps -- we have tried to work on that particular premise of building up our ties on different aspects where there is no conflict or very little conflict. And in this particular instance, I have to find the way and means by which we can both achieve our respective goals, which I believe are not -- or should not be mutually exclusive, but rather should be inclusive if at the end of the day, we do want to strive for the prosperity of our respective peoples.

That I think has to be the primordial concern, rather than disputes on a few rocks that are not possible to be inhabited. And I think in due time, given the fact that there's so much commerce that traverses this particular -- both in the maritime and the air domain -- China, which has achieved its goals of improving the life of its people, will see the soundness of this proposal and perhaps will act more, shall we say, consistently and actively towards achieving that stability for all. That is our hope.






Amazing how a single journalist can twist and bend a story by omitting a few sentences - intentional, malicious, or simply a lack of comprehension? Even more amazing even is how fast one can "feed" on negativity. Reading the whole transcript indeed is enlightening. Then perhaps we wouldn't be so quick to judge.






Edited by Hong Nam, May 1 2014, 02:57 AM.

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