IPs reject Xi Jinping’s Phl visit

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

(Below is a press statement of indigenous people who recently held a meeting in Quezon City to assess the state of IPs in the country) 

In commemoration of the International Indigenous Peoples’ (IP) Heroes Day, IP leaders say "Xi Jinping is not welcome in the Philippines, especially in our sacred lands," indigenous peoples of the country said in response to the upcoming visit of the Chinese President to the Philippines.

China President Jinping is scheduled to sign with President Duterte the Official Development Aid (ODA) loan for the Kaliwa Dam and other Build Build Build projects.

"We call on the Chinese government for the pullout from committed loans and project that will destroy our lands and the environment which our ancestors and martyrs have nurtured with their sweat and blood,” said Pya Macliing Malayao, Katribu secretary general, and among the grandchildren of IP hero Petra Macliing, a Bontok woman leader who boldly opposed the logging, mining and the Chico mega dam in the Cordillera since the late 1960s.

Igorot, Dumagat and Lumad leaders and their advocates lit pinewood and held a ritual of solidarity to honor IP heroes and protest against President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the Philippines. The firewood honors their heroes and represents the flame of the struggle for their ancestral land and self-determination.

The ritual started with the drinking of a local wine to express solidarity and in remembrance of their brave ancestors, and ended with the bloodletting of a red rooster which symbolizes the determined and continued struggle to defend their communities and territories.

"For four decades, we have struggled against Laiban dam, a project started by the fascist US-Marcos regime but frustrated by the Filipino people. Now, with loans from China, the dam project will encroach more than 20,000 hectares of our ancestral lands in the Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges. This will destroy our sacred lands and our environment – a damnation of our lives and of the future generations," said Wilma Quirrez, spokesperson of the Network Opposed to (NCWS) Kaliwa-Kanan-Laiban Dam, and a daughter of IP hero Marilyn Quirrez.

The NCWS is a mega project under President Duterte's Build Build Build, which will push through with the Marcos-era Kanan, Kaliwa and Laiban mega dams. The dam project is to displace at least 31,000 people, mostly indigenous communities of the Dumagat and Remontado in 9 villages of Rizal and Quezon provinces.

“China is an important ingredient for Duterte’s Build Build Build program which favors the interest of big businesses.  These profit-oriented projects will target the Filipino people’s natural resources, displace thousands of indigenous communities, and violate their collective rights to their ancestral land and self-determination,” Quirrez said. 

Other projects to be funded by Chinese ODA are: Chico dams in Kalinga and Pulangi dams in Bukidnon and North Cotabato 

“In order to silence us freely enter our lands, landlords, capitalists and government are attacking our communities. Under the Duterte regime, 51 indigenous peoples have been killed by state armed forces for defending their rights and land. We will not cower, just as ours heroes,” Malayao said. 

"If it was not of our ancestors and heroes, we would have nothing now, and so as the next and future generations. We will stand for what our martyrs have developed and sacrificed their lives for," said Quirrez. 

 “We call on the people to continuously defend our national patrimony and sovereignty," Malayao said.

The groups cited IP heroes: 

Macliing Dulag – Butbut-Kalinga; a pangat (peacepact holder) and among the key leaders against the World Bank Chico dam project

Rafael Markus Bangit – Molbog-Kalinga; a pangat and a leader of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance

Ricardo Mayumi – Kalanguya-Ifugao; a leader of the Ifugao Peasant Movement

John Calaba – Dulangan Manobo; Public information officer of the KEDUMA local Lumad organization who was abducted by elements of the David M. Consunji, Inc (DMCI) which encroached the territories of the Dulangan Manobo in Sultan Kudarat

Datu Jimmy Liguyon – Tigwahaon/ Matigsalog; a community chieftain, a leader of the Kasilo local Lumad organization, and Barangay Captain of Brgy.Dao who was extra-judicially killed on March 5, 2012

Renato Anglao – Pulangihon Manobo; Secretary General of the Tindoga local Lumad organization who was extra-judicially killed on February 3, 2017.

Dionel Campos – Manobo; Chairperson of the MAPASU local Lumad organization who was massacred on September 1, 2016

Datu Jovello Sinzo – Manobo; Community chieftain who was massacred on September 1, 2016

Veronico Delamente – Mamanwa; Provincial coordinator of the KATRIBU Partylist who was extra-judicially killed on January 20, 2017

Nicanor “Kano” delos Santos – Dumagat; Secretary general of the Makabayang Samahan ng Katutubong Dumagat (MASKADA) and vice chairperson of the Bigkis at Lakas ng mga Katutubo sa Timog Katagalugan (BALATIK), organizations opposing the Laiban dam; extra-judicially killed on December 8, 2001 by the Arroyo regime.

Marilyn Quirrez – among the Dumagat woman leaders leading the campaign to protect the Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges since the 1980s; secretary general of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) in the Quezon Province.

Erning Aykid – Hanunuo; Chairperson of the Tiripunan Arawatan Hanunuo Mangyan (TAHM) and a barangay kagawad when he was extra-judicially killed on September 15, 2017.

Tomas “Matanem Birang” Ito – Bagobo; 2^nd chairperson of the PASAKA Confederation of Lumad in Southern Mindanao, and among the leaders of the Dyandi (peacepact) to defend Mt. Apo  “without ever retreating, until the very last drop of our blood, if needed.”

Ludeño”Dos” Monzon – Mandaya; a leader of the Negkahiusa Koy Mag-uuma To Boston which leads an active campaign against the Omega Gold mining company operating in their community. Dos was extra-judicially killed on April 29, 2009 under the Oplan Bantay Laya of the Arroyo regime.

Jimmy Saypan – Mandaya; Secretary general of the Compostela Farmer’s Association which leads the campaign to stop the operations and demand for the accountability of the AGPET mining company. Jimmy was extra-judicially killed on October 10, 2016.

Juvy Capion – Blaan; a leader of the KALGAD, an organization of the Blaan resisting the Tampakan mining project. Juvy along with 2 of her children were massacred by the military on October 19, 2012

The IPs also honored their martyred advocates:

Fr. Fausto “Pops” Tentorio – an Italian priest who was extra-judicially killed on October 17, 2011

Willem Geertman – a Dutch missionary and executive director of Alay Bayan Inc (ABI) who was extra-judicially killed on October 17, 2011

Emerito Samarca – Executive Director of the ALCADEV who the massacred on September 1, 2016

PERRYSCOPE

Perry Diaz

Has Chinese

colonization begun?

For the past several years, the prospect of Chinese invasion of the Philippines has instilled fear among Filipinos – they remember the Japanese invasion in 1942 came to their minds.  When China reclaimed the Panganiban Reef, also known as Mischief Reef, in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in 1994, that fear transformed into apprehension.  

When China started building artificial islands around seven reefs in the Spratly Islands in the WPS in 2013, the Philippine government went into a state of shock not knowing how to respond to China’s takeover of parts of the Spratlys.   

When China began building airbases and harbors capable hosting warplanes, warships, and missiles on the artificial islands, the Philippine government tried to appease the “Chinese Dragon” that’s extending her territory in the WPS.  And when she started deploying aircraft and missiles in the militarized artificial islands, the Philippine government slid into paralytic state, incapable of how to deal with the “Chinese Dragon.” 

In May 2017, Duterte visited Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.  In their meeting, Duterte boldly told Xi:  “We intend to drill oil there, if it’s yours, well, that’s your view, but my view is, I can drill the oil, if there is some inside the bowels of the earth because it is ours. ”  Xi responded, “We’re friends, we don’t want to quarrel with you, we want to maintain the presence of warm relationship, but if you force the issue, we’ll go to war.”  

That did it.  In no uncertain terms, Xi made it clear that the two nations’ friendship is second only to China’s territorial claim in the WPS.  Xi’s veiled message was:  “Don’t touch the West Philippine Sea.  It’s ours.”

When he was back home he said that some groups in the country were pressuring him to take stronger action to assert the Philippines’ ownership of the WPS.  He told them, “We cannot afford a war. We cannot win a battle against China and I would only lose maybe thousands of my troops and policemen.” 

That was the gist of Duterte’s foreign policy vis-à-vis China. 

Chinese province

It’s interesting to note that when Duterte spoke before an audience of Filipino-Chinese businessmen on February 19, 2018, he said: “If you want, just make us a province, like Fujian.”  The businessmen applauded Duterte’s statement while Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua grinned approvingly.

In July 2018, residents in Manila and other cities woke up to see red banners hanging from footbridges reading,  “Welcome to the Philippines, province of China,” complete with the Chinese flag and Chinese characters.  Nobody knows who put up the red banners.  However, many see it as a protest to Duterte’s failure to assert the country’s rights in the disputed waters.

China Dream

Although, the Philippines isn’t a part of Xi’s “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR) strategic initiative to link Asia, Europe, and Africa, which is modelled after the “Silk Road,” it is now part of OBOR’s ancillary routes.  As it’s now apparent, OBOR is the answer to Xi’s “China Dream” to reshape global trade with Beijing at its core.  China would be the world’s new imperial power.

Indeed, OBOR’s expansion into the Philippines has drawn various industries.  One of them is offshore gaming known as Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO), which was established after Duterte took over the government in 2016.  Chinese gaming companies have “invaded” the country.  There are now more than 50 POGO licensees, many of which are Chinese groups.

The influx of Chinese gaming companies has created another industry – real estate. Due to the demand for POGO facilities, offices and houses by the Chinese expats, property values have skyrocketed.   Incidentally, POGO companies employ mostly Chinese nationals.  According to a property consultant, the growth is phenomenal.  POGO groups use almost quarter of a million square meters of office space.

Cruise ships, which were non-existent in Philippine waters just a few years ago, have contributed to the country’s tourism industry.  Junket players -- heavy-betting Chinese gamblers -- are also contributing to the profits of POGO companies

One of the giants in the casino industry, Chinese casino Galaxy Entertainment Group would soon open its expansion by building a $550 million casino in Boracay.

When the Duterte administration invited telecommunication companies to bid for a third concession, three major Chinese communication giants were looking for Filipino partners to qualify to bid.  This is because the Philippine Constitution requires 60% ownership of all Philippine-registered corporations.  And this is where “dummy” stockholder and partners are coming in.  

Massive arrival

Government records show that more than three million Chinese nationals were allowed to enter the Philippines since 2016.   Many have attributed the influx to Duterte’s shift in foreign policy since the beginning of his presidency. 

In an attempt to regulate or curb the steady stream of Chinese nationals in the Philippines, Sen. Leila de Lima filed a resolution urging the Senate to investigate the “problem” that she said “not only steals jobs away from ordinary Filipinos but also triggers property surge on many developed areas.”

Meanwhile, Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago “Chito” Sta. Romana has been advocating the relaxation of visa restrictions “to encourage tourism on both ways on mutually beneficial terms.”

But all things said, there is a long history of mistrust of the Chinese, fueled by China’s territorial claims in the WPS.  And as China continues to bully the Philippines over the territorial disputes, China will never be seen in the eyes of Filipinos as a friend.  Indeed, the threat of war or invasion has made “friendship” with China untenable.

Chinese colonization

In my article,  “Who discovered the Philippines?”(April 13, 2007), I wrote: “In 1405, during the reign of the Ming Dynasty in China, Emperor Yung Lo [also Yong Le] claimed the island of Luzon and placed it under his empire. The Chinese called the island “Lusong” from the Chinese characters Lui Sung. The biggest settlement of Chinese was in Lingayen in Pangasinan. Lingayen also became the seat of the Chinese colonial government in Luzon. When Yung Lo died in 1424, the new Emperor Hongxi, Yung Lo’s son, lost interest in the colony and the colonial government was dissolved. However, the Chinese settlers in Lingayen — known as “sangleys” — remained and prospered. Our national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal descended from the sangleys.”

With historical incidents of Chinese colonization of Luzon, and the present-day massive arrival of Chinese nationals assimilating into the various industries in the country, many are concerned that they would soon control the wealth and patrimony of the nation. 

It makes one wonder:  Just like 600 years ago when China claimed and placed Luzon under her empire, is she now in a position to claim the Philippines as her province or vassal state?  Or has Chinese colonization begun? 

(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)