In modern warfare, pure bravado does not win war nor does it help defend sovereignty and territories. Plain courage, which is sometimes translated as a patriotic gesture of freedom-loving citizens, is only applicable in a hand-to-hand combat. It does not in any way produce intimidation to known and unknown enemies. Today’s struggle for survival in which nations have to compete for every inch of available land conquerable out there entails breaching of established international treaties and long-held diplomatic ties. The issue now is not whether a nation’s act would offend another nation’s sovereignty but it is more of well-calculated aggression and intimidation regardless of what the world thinks of it, and those who can’t stand the heat of offensive gestures of bigger and more powerful nations can only run to the bosom of United Nations (UN), who in turn may just turn a blind eye to an issue if it involves one of the so-called Big 10, including of course our neighbor China.

China for years has set its eyes on Spratly’s Islands and the surrounding areas historically and legally belonging to Philippine sovereignty. However, the presence of the US Military Base in Subic established since the end of World War 2, then the biggest US physical force stationed outside mainland America, had continuously postponed China’s plan of aggression and expansion. But now that the US Military Base is no longer a fear factor for the Chinese military, this once sleeping giant of Asia now feels that it can do whatever it wants to do without any consideration of diplomatic ramifications. China knows that she has nothing to lose if a nation would invite war against her, but any country that may provoke her is sure to suffer economic persecution. That’s how China feels about its recent intrusion into internationally known and accepted Philippine territories. Its military presence and build-up around Panatag Shoal seems unstoppable. The Philippine Government can only file complaints upon complaints with the UN but nothing has come out of it.

Who can stop China? Or who can stop Malaysia if it would invade Mindanao? None.

Political bravado of our national officials in the guise of advancing independence and nationalism cannot stop any country from stealing any of our territories nor will it deter any acts of aggression of stronger nations. China can do whatever it wants to do to the Philippines, and all we can do is harp all day long our toothless national self-confidence. Our officials like to pretend that we are strong, but deep in our skin we are living in the shadows of fear and uncertainties. Since we cannot really defend our territories nor keep our people safe from being pulverized by nuclear-armed nations, why can’t our government officials strip themselves of misplaced patriotism and admit that apart from America, at this time, we can never defend a yard of our land from being claimed by any resource-hungry nations? Welcoming the return of the US Military Base in Philippine soil is the only sensible, logical, practical, realistic, patriotic, and sane option we have. Those who oppose the return of US military forces in our midst are simply great pretenders whose rhetoric is full of sound and fury but signifies nothing.