As expected, but is unnecessary and inappropriate, China is protesting against the RP-US Balikatan Military Exercises and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) intended to bolster the military alliance between the Philippines and the United States.
China is viewing all these as gestures of provocation that could spark an armed conflict. Very likely, it’s an act of aggression as China has it, almost close to a declaration of war. But it is just an exaggeration on China’s part, or perhaps an excuse for it to justify war in case that is what it intends to have. Because far from how the Chinese government views these things, EDCA and the Balikatan Exercises are never meant to stage offensive moves.
This is what President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the high-ranking officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are emphasizing. EDCA and the Balikatan Exercises are for defense purposes, not for offensive advances. Never will they be used to initiate aggressive actions against China or any other country. If ever they will be mobilized for war ends, it is because enemies had attacked first, and they are just activated in response.
With this arrangement, no country including China should complain against the existence of EDCA and the Balikatan. It should only react militarily if it has plans to initiate war, or is intending to attack clandestinely any time from now. That China is reacting only shows that it has ill intentions, and since these are obstructive to its plans, this country is then protesting and complaining when in fact, it is their threats for aggression that are prompting these preparations to be in place.
Why, then, if you are threatening a neighbor and that neighbor prepares for any untoward actions, will you lament against that preparation? What kind of mentality is it? If you don’t like the gesture, why not stop from threatening that neighbor? That’s the logic there.
Just ancient jeepneys for San Jose route
While many of the destinations around Tacloban City and nearby districts have had decent, air-conditioned mini-buses transporting the passengers to and from their places of residence, the passenger vehicles plying the San Jose route are still the same old jeepneys and multicabs—emitting dark fumes, congested with passengers, smelling of cigarette smoke, packed with perspiring bodies, and inconvenienced by rotten vehicle innards.
This makes people from San Jose district wonder—where are these “savior” vehicles? Why are there no such alternatives to these old and falling apart jeepneys? Who is the powerful figure behind the endless utilization of these ancient vehicles? When can the people from San Jose enjoy the coolness of an air-conditioned ride, especially now when the heat is terrible? Why stick to these uncomfortable vehicles when there are already new and very convenient ones? Why deprive the San Jose passengers of such privilege and comfort?
Mind you, San Jose must have the bulky passengers of all places around Tacloban. You know why? That’s the only route with a 24-hour, non-stop passenger service. At midnight and shortly after that, passenger vehicles to other places already retire for the night such that, if you are bound to any of these places, you will have to hire a tricycle exclusively just to get there, the reason being that there are no more passenger vehicles on the roads.
But not in San Jose. One can go home to San Jose anytime at night, or vice versa as passenger vehicles seemingly don’t stop from plying the route. Given this bulk of passengers, then, air-conditioned mini-buses will never run out of passengers should they opt to take the San Jose route. But why is it that none of them are taking that line? There must be some powerful figures who monopolize that route, not allowing modern vehicles to get in.
Passengers don’t really care who decides for the people’s welfare or deprivation in relation to this issue. They don’t care about the reasons behind. What they demand is that they should be made to enjoy what other passengers to other places are enjoying. They demand for a more comfortable ride, cool and safe from the increasing air pollution along thoroughfares. Why can they not enjoy it, if others can? The San Jose passengers obviously comprise the biggest number of passengers, yet they are deprived of these comfortable vehicles? That’s the amazing thing there.
The City Lords and policy makers should intervene in this regard. Just because some controlling authorities are that powerful enough doesn’t mean people should continually bear with the age-old discomfort that these rotten jeepneys have been providing. We make do with such vehicles if there are no more options to choose from. But if there are, why continue to stick to these Jurassic vehicles that would sometimes pluck your skin off with their protruding rust eating up the vehicles?
And don’t make these San Jose passengers wait. Provide them now with those far better, spacious, and cool vehicles. They deserve to have them around.