Q&A: China Cannot be an Aggressor Forever - FVR

 

Northern Watch's political columnist Mortz C . Ortigoza sat again recently with former President Fidel V. Ramos, a West Pointer, in Dagupan City to discuss the growing belligerence of Mainland China in the West Philippines Sea and the state of the Philippine’s armed forces vis-à-vis the incessant Chinese's intrusions in the territorial waters of the Philippines, Excerpts:

 Op-Ed Political Writer Mortz C. Ortigoza (right, photo) interviews former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos.

' MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA (MCO): Mr. President, some quarters said armed conflict between the United States and Mainland China is inevitable. But the U.S has $1.164 trillion of debt with China, notwithstanding the latter as the U.S’s biggest trade partner. Do you think war is indeed inevitable?

FIDEL V. RAMOS (FVR): You know I hope you read my Sunday columns in the Bulletin. I’ve been writing about , No. 1: “Who is Scared of Scarborough? Or Panatag Shoal which is 124 miles only from Masinloc, Zambales, 550 Miles away from Hainan, Islands – the southernmost place of China, thereby we have some advantage already. No. 2: If we sacrifice our trade using the 200 miles EEZ or Exclusive Economic Zone provided for long by the UN (United Nations) Convention of the Laws of the Sea, UNCLOS tagilid diyan si China (that will be China’s dilemma).

MCO: But China was nonchalant on this EEZ thing. She keeps violating our territorial water?

FVR: In my view she cannot be an aggressor forever because there are also other nations like ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) which has 600 million people. Kasama ang Philippines diyan (the Philippines is included there). They are also rising like China and democratic and observe and respect the right convention and covenant especially the rule of human rights and equal opportunity. Meaning (they) keep the sea lanes of peaceful commerce, aviation and people’s interaction open and hindered by decrees. This is how the 21st Century and no country, and no people within the country can just dictate like that because the people everywhere will not allow it. Look at what is happening in the Middle East and in North Africa.

MCO: Are you in favor the Philippines buttresses her armed forces like buying T-50 Golden Eagle and F-16 Falcon supersonic multi-role jets from Korea Aerospace Industries and U.S based Lockheed Company ?

FVR: You know the best way of acquiring modern equipment was what we did back in the 1990s with Cory (President Aquino) up to 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1994 during my time. It was not outright purchased; it was co-production and counter trade. This was how we bought jets, trainer planes from Alenia Aermacchihe S-211, one squadron 24 of them But one half of them were paid in hard cash. The other half were completed by bartering by ordering shoes, woven fashion wear, leather goods, and lingerie fashion materials made in the Philippines but Italy wants to brand them with their (products).

MCO: How about Co-Production?

FVR: Plus co-production. If we talked about co-production it does not have to do with flying the planes and jets. The non-avionic parts or the parts that do not do have to do with flying the plane, firing the guns, providing the radar like the seats, the canopy, the upholstery, the glass. It must be made in the Philippines. And yes we have so many retired air force people, and aviation personnel who can do all of these dirty works. We did that in 1991-92-93.

MCO: During your time Mr. President, were planes’ crashes common that snapped out the lives of our air force pilots?

FVR: Saka noong panahon namin maniwala ka, the quality of the (planes) of the air force then was very high (Believe you me, during my time the quality of the planes of the air force planes were very high). Walang namamatay na cabinet members kahit na sumakay sila sa Philippine Air force Force. Pati ang presidente hindi nag-a-arkila ng private planes bukod sa foreign trips by using Philippine Airlines. Iyong Philippine Air force gamit namin sa local sorties (No cabinet members were reported dead who rode in an air force plane in my time. Even the president of the land did not lease private planes except when he went abroad by availing Philippine Airlines. The air force planes were used in local sorties only).

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Majority Opp. Lawmakers can Make, Unmake the Chief Exec

 

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Because of the cops loyal to Dagupan City Mayor Brian Lim who guarded two big villages in the coastal city to prevent the monies allegedly from the camp of the mayorship challenger Belen Fernandez (a former six years’ mayor) to circulate with a vengeance, the reelection victory of the almost three years’ Hizzoner Lim became a casualty.

The anger of the voters who were locked down on the eve of the election could be seen on the 67, 499 votes of Fernandez (a Chinese descent like Lim) versus the 53, 042 votes gained by the incumbent mayor. Geez, that’s a 144, 457 lead votes for incoming Mayor Belen – the Woman with Balls as based on her intrepidity to fight what is best for the Dagupenos.

SCHISM between the Legislative and the Executive Departments. Photo credit: Latestlaws.com

In their first match in 2019 election, Lim won a measly 1,239 votes to wear the mayoralty diadem of progressive city in Northern Luzon with more than a hundred thousand of voters.

But the acrimonious political drama in Bangus City – started in June 30, 2019 to the stonewalling of the mostly Fernandez ally Dads to deprive Lim of his more than a billion pesos’ budget - did not end on the night Fernandez was proclaimed as Mayor by the Commission on Election.

As I scanned the 100% accomplished data of Halalan 2022 of ABS-CBN, I saw Red Flag on the equation of the twelve members of the legislature (Pinoys call it Sangguniang Panlungsod). Seven of the new Councilors came from the ticket of Lim while three hailed from Fernandez’s slate.

“With the ex-officio members of the SP through the Presidents of the Liga ng mga Barangays and the Samahang Kabataan Federation, the balance-of-power (or power play or whatever you call it) tips on the allies of Lim on the legislature,” I told my son Jigger while browsing the data of Halalan 2022.

They can continue what the former allies of Fernandez by holding hostage projects and programs Mayor-Elect Belen Fernandez wants to pass.

The still to be passed billions of pesos 2022 annual budget under the Lim Administration can be allowed to go by the majority of the Councilors who procrastinated on it since late last year thus the local government is snagged with the 2021 reenacted budget sans the twenty percent Development Fund (psst construction and repair of infras and where the alleged S.O.Ps are embedded)   

But my eldest son – who is enchanted with the razzmatazz of the local government because he once worked there – told me that buying one councilor – says for a million or more pesos (through projects or cold cash, baby)  – can make the equation six – six where the tie breaker is Fernandez’s cousin and the incumbent Vice Mayor Bryan Kua.

***

If some of the Dads of Dagupan can be procured through projects or whatever salamabit to collaborate whatever the chief of the executive department wants to foist so she can look popular after three years and help her reelection bid, could it happen to Pangasinan Governor-Elect Ramon “Monmon” Guico, III?

Recently, I asked him inside the session hall of the provincial lawmakers in capital town Lingayen about the impending schism from the eight new members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan comes June 30. These eight Dads are loyal to exiting Governor Amado Espino, III and his namesake father the former governor while Guico got only four provincial lawmakers.

With the two ex-officio members of the SP who come from the presidency of the Liga ng mga Barangay and the Samahan ng mga Kabataan Federation, the equation in the provincial board will be ten opposition members and four from your own party, will they prejudice the governor’s projects and programs through their obstruction on Resolutions and Ordinances?

The outgoing Pangasinan 5^th District Congressman Guico retort: “Well, kung hindi sila makiayon e di they did not perform their mandate as legislatures of the province. So, kailangan gamitin na rin nila kung ano iyong (inaudible)..”

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MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

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I am a twenty years seasoned Op-Ed Political Writer in various newspapers and Blogger exposing government corruptions, public officials's idiocy and hypocrisies, and analyzing local and international issues. I have a master’s degree in Public Administration and professional government eligibility. I taught for a decade Political Science and Economics in universities in Metro Manila and cities of Urdaneta, Pangasinan and Dagupan. Follow me on Twitter @totoMortz or email me at totomortz@yahoo.com.

Billionaire-Mayor Explains How Aguila Defeated the Espinos

 

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – “The Eagle has landed,” exiting Bayambang Billionaire - Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao quipped in his opening statement to reporters the immortal phrase of American astronaut Neil Armstrong when it landed on the moon’s Sea of Tranquility his Apollo 11 lunar module named “Eagle.

The Eagle or Aguila in the vernacular is the acronym of the Alyansang Guico at Lambino for the governorship and vice governorship races of Pangasinan province participated by 5^th District Rep. Ramon “Monmon” Guico, III and Vice Gov. Mark Lambino, respectively.

Quiambao was accused by former governor Amado T. Espino, Jr – his high school classmate  - to be behind the massive cheating that saw his son and namesake the governor of the province lost in the May 9 election.

POWERFUL POLITICIAN and Bayambang Mayor Cezar T. Quiambo (left, photo and clockwise), Pangasinan new Governor –Elect Ramon “Monmon” Guico, III, and exiting Pangasinan Governor Amado “Pogi” Espino, III. Guico trounces out Espino with a 187, 801 lead votes in the latest governorship derby. The former and the latter garnered 885,272 votes, 697, 465 votes, respectively. Espino’s father and namesake the former governor of the colossal province accused Quiambao of massive machination that saw his governor and congressman’s sons routed in the polls by their rivals.

“The issue on me I think is wrong. This a joint team effort. The real changer here is Congressman Mark Cojuangco. He lost as a candidate for governor, moved to the 2^nd District. That’s the game changer. Without the sacrifice of Cong. Mark I don’t think we have a strong team,” Quiambao retorted to the query of this writer on the election machination that favors Guico and Cojuangco.

“Mula ng maging Mayor si Mr. Quiambao hindi na nanalo si Pogi. Dati si Ric (former Bayambang Mayor who ran the town’s top post) sa kanya mismong barangay,” he told reporters in a press conference he called at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center here in May 10 with the Abante Pangasinan Ilokano (API) Secretary General Nelson V. Gayo and some Pangasinan mayoralty candidates who were trounced out in the polls like  Bryan Gotoc and Joseph Arman Bauzon.

In a press briefing to answer the accusations of Espino held on May 11 at the residence of Cojuangco in North Bay School, Maramba Blvd., Libsong West here, Quiambao – accompanied by Guico, Cojuangco, 1^st District Representative-Elect Art Celeste, Abono Partylist Congressman Eskimo Estrella, and Guico’s father and namesake the 5^th District Congressman-elect – cited the factors how Espino’s governor and 2^nd District Congressman sons lose the election.

He mentioned the unity of the members of the Aguila who were seated with him at the press conference and the persistence of Celeste to convince Cojuangco to transfer his residency in the 2nd District - the Lion’s Den of the Espinos where the former governor and the present solon reside – where Quiambao considered it a vacuum with their power play with the sitting political family.

It has more or less 315,000 registered voters (2022 data) that could prejudice the victory of Guico among the almost two million registered voters of the entire province in case they could not find an effective opponent to challenge Congressman Jumel Anthony Espino there.

Guico and reelectionist Pogi Espino garnered 885,272 votes, 697, 465 votes, respectively or a lead votes of 187, 801 in favor of Guico.

Cojuangco beat Jumel Espino with a lead votes of 14, 584 votes.

“First District we are strong. Our weakest point is the 2^nd District. We’re strong (in the) 4^th District, I think we’re strong in the 3^rd District, 5^th District we’ve the strongest support there, 6^th District we have the Abono. Look at the composition of the group. It’s really a united effort well- organized, well- studied, well- strategize”.

The third factor was the quality of the candidates Aguila fielded in the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 5th Districts and the collaboration of the bets to buttress the political stocks of Aguila in the 6th District through the Abono Party List of exiting Rep. Conrad Estrella.

“The most important factor: The quality of the candidates. There was no single issue that were raised against the candidates especially Governor Monmon Guico”.

The fifth factor, according to Quiambao, was their resources like the use of helicopters where each of them – him, Cojuangco, and Guico - owned to hopscotch (especially for Guico) from up to four villages a day since they start barnstorming the barangays in September last year.

“We’re able to go around para sa (more than) 1,200 barangays. That makes the difference naka-helicopter kaming lahat”.

He said this technology bode them well to their march to victory.

“Very clear we did not apply technology to cheat. We look at the system. The system is 99% accurate that is the standard of the automative election,” as his rebuttal to the cheating yarn of the older Espino.

He cited the defeat of the opponents as the Espinos’ Fatigue where the patriarch and his sons governed the forty-four towns and three cities’ province for almost twenty years without significant improvement to the lives of the people.

“Siguro the fourth factor is Espinos’ Fatigue. Pagod na rin siguro ang mga tao. 15 years’ service hindi satisfied iyong tao”.

Except the vice governor and the Abono Party List’s nominee No. 1 Estrella, Quiambao told the public that the same individuals seated with him were the original members who shored up and catapulted Espino, Jr. to Congress in the 2005 election and the governorship in the 2007 poll.

“These are people who make him governor who made him congressman. All of us. So we can make a governor, we can also make a downfall of the governor”.

 Cong.-Elect Celeste butted in that if massive cheating had been perpetrated by their camp then his two brothers' former Congressman Jesus 'Boying" Celeste, exiting Congressman Noli Celeste, and Mangaldan Mayor Marilyn Lambino would not lose in the mayorship contests in the towns of Sual, Agno, and Mangaldan, respectively. The defeated candidates are members of Aguila.

The other factor this newspaper saw that caused the routing of the Espinos in the May 9 derby was the five expensive fifteen and thirty seconds’ political advertisement shown daily at the regional afternoon news of GMA-7 two months before the election.  Governor Espino’s public relation guys could only show pathetically three infomercials two weeks before the election.

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Can the De Venecias, Ex-Dagupan Mayor Subvert the Vaunted Marcos’ Solid North?

  By Mortz C. Ortigoza

I thought that after the camp of presidential bet Leni Robredo left the huge concrete open space – host of the 76,000 crowd - of CSI mall owned by the family of former Dagupan City Mayor Belen T. Fernandez, I told my wife and son Jigger – while we were struck around 11 pm of April 8 in the muddy parking space near the highway – that Robredo’s party would be spending the night in a hotel at the coastal city.

“She’s weary doing hustings in Bani and Villasis (towns in Pangasinan) and addressed the 1,600 students and staff of the University of Pangasinan in Dagupan City the whole day,” I said.

The following morning, my mole in the camp of former five-time Speaker Joe de Venecia told me the convoy of the presidential bet had midnight dinner at the house of the rabble rousing Speaker in Barangay Bonuan Binloc, Dagupan City before motoring the more than an hour rides to Tarlac City.

Through the intercession there of the De Venecias (Speaker Joe, Missus former solon Manay Gina, and incumbent Congressman Toff) she met the 140 barangay chairmen (village chiefs) of the one city and four towns’ Fourth Congressional District. The District is the perennial citadel of the De Venecias.

PANGASINAN 4^TH DISTRICT POLITICAL KINGPIN former House Speaker Joe de Venecia (extreme left, photo), son Congressman Christopher and spouse Manay Gina (2^nd and 1^st from right, photo) raised the hands of presidential candidate Leni Robredo in a colossal assembly of supporters from various parts of the 2.1 million voting strong Pangasinan province that converged at the open space of the CSI mall owned by the family of former Dagupan City Mayor Belen T. Fernandez.

“The backing of the De Venecias will frustrate the three provinces Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and La Union in Region-1 because Pangasinan goes for Leni,” my spy said.

I told him the almost 1.5 million registered voters of the three Ilocano speaking provinces are dwarfed compared to Pangasinan’s almost 2.1 million registered voters where Ilocano and Pangasinenses divide the demography.

“Walang Solid North,” my errand boy Procopio Matulis quipped when he told me about the De Venecias and former Mayor Belen valiant decision to go against the customary sentiment of the people in the Ilocos Region (another name of Region 1).

Manay Gina by the way is a Bicolana like Leni. Does her support has something to do with regionalism or a careful tactical political move by the De Venecias as my source wanted me to believe?

The region has 3,546,764 registered voters (Comelec 2022 data taken from the 2,096, 936 voters of Pangasinan (including the independent component city’s Dagupan), 538, 730 voters of La Union, 476, 984 voters of Ilocos Sur, and 434, 114 voters of Ilocos Norte.

PRESIDENTIAL BET – who is the current Vice President of the Philippines - Leni Robredo (right, photo) and Dagupan mayoralty candidate former Mayor Belen T. Fernandez. Fernandez and the political family of former House Speaker Joe de Venecia wanted to pierce the vaunted Solid North’s voting myth of the family of the late Ilocano Dictator Ferdinand Marcos by exhorting voters to support the presidential bid of Robredo – a Bicolana. 

After the rally in Dagupan City and spending the night in Tarlac, Robredo and slate (like Senatorial bets and bitter enemies’ Antonio Trillanes and Dick Gordon – I had a brush with the brash solon Big Dick before the start of the assembly that is now viral and expected to hit a million views at Facebook -  have gargantuan rally in the nearby Pampanga province on the dusk of that day. That rally – according to the police – showed 220, 000 yelling, shoving, and jostling Ka-Pampangans who attended that sea of humanity. 

“Hinde iyan sibuyas lasona (small onions) iyan!” my columnist in Northern Watch Newspaper and pro-Marcos’ Prof. Arnel Montemayor whose nom de plume is Munting Isko cried at FB hahaha when he saw the Pampanga’s Kakam-Pinks crowd.

***

A few days before the mammoth rally outside the CSI stadia and malls ensued, a mayor told me that he and another Hizzoner were badgered by Manay Gina at her residence in the coastal barangay Bunuan Binloc to join the Leni and Kiko Pangilinan’s rally.

“Sinabi ko naman kay Manay na hinde puwede kasi pinsan ko sila Marcos pero mapilit kaya papupuntahin ko na lang si misis ko doon,” he lamented.

Other hizzoners I saw there (Geez, I was near the stage and had even dinner and interviews with 1Sambayan Convenor former Supreme Court Justice Tony Carpio and ex-Ombudsman Conchita Morales inside the Stadia) were Calasiao, Binmaley, and San Manuel, Pangasinan Mayors Joseph Bauzon, Sam Rosario -who smarted Dictator Marcos jailed him - and Kenneth Marco Perez, respectively.

The other mayor told him to just ride with the wish of the matriarch of the political kingpin of the Fourth District so she would not chide them.

Instead, the De Venecia got the chiding from the avid supporters of Marcos when the family raised the hands of Robredo in the stage as the multitude in Dagupan City chanted.

Former Congressman and congressional candidate of the First District Art Celeste called the De Venecias as “has been” diminishing political force.

"In 2016, they (de Venecias) who (sic) were with the Liberal Party campaigned hard for Mar Roxas (for President and Leni Robredo for Vice President, but they (Mar-Leni) lost miserably in Pangasinan despite the massive resources of the 'yellows' then," former First District Cong. Art Celeste, who is making a congressional comeback, told Manila Times.

He recalled that even the party-list Inang Mahal of former representative Gina de Venecia did not garner substantial votes in the mammoth province.

"She (Gina) is a Bicolana like Leni Robredo who doesn't care, feel and think like the Ilocanos and Pangasinenses do," Celeste said.

Congressman Toff de Venecia was booed too by the thousands of supporters in the Leni Rally when he acknowledged and thanked President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Bong Go.

De Venecia’s congressional rival lawyer Alvin Fernandez assailed him on his April 9 Facebook’s post: “He is now supporting the two opposing Mayors of Dagupan and is also in both their official line up. I am very happy that he is now supporting Leni although he has also been attending and supporting the other (rival Bongbong Marcos). Siya lang po nakakaalam sino sa huli ang pipiliin niyang Mayor at sino sa huli ang pipiliin niyang Presidente".

De Venecia and his mother Gina were in the Bongbong Marcos’ rally in February 27, 2022 held in Dagupan City, according to a news report.

Drone shots of the 76,000-strong “Kakampink” crowd in Dagupan City, Pangasinan during the Robredo-Pangilinan tandem’s grand rally. That’s more than double the size of the crowd when front runner Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. held a rally in the same city in February 27, 2022. Photo Credit: Rappler.com

In the March 17-21, 22022 poll of Pulse Asia, it showed that Robredo’s rival Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. got 56% while Leni notched to 24%.

But with the 9% spike of the poll stocks of Robredo and 4% decline of Marcos from the same pollster’s February 18-23, 2022 survey, Pulse Asia President Ronald Holmes opined that the Bicolana had found the silver bullet - how to swell public opinion in her favor. They are the gargantuan rallies that started first in the March 20, 2022 130,000 supporters’ Pasig rally and her other colossal assemblies, and the house-to-house strategy.

In an interview with "The Chiefs" over Cignal TV's One News, Holmes said sustaining the rise of Robredo will depend on what her campaign will do in the following weeks.

Holmes attributed Robredo's rise in the latest Pulse Asia survey to the different tactics that her team has adopted since the start of the campaign period, including the holding of large rallies and the media coverage that it received.

While the decline of support for Marcos was not statistically significant, Holmes said it is different in the case of Robredo. She saw a rise among supporters in most areas and across all socioeconomic sectors covered by the poll.

MY PROGNOSIS: Come the next scientific survey in April 20 - that could go public in May 1 – that could show Robredo spikes her March 17-21 to another 15 % then she wins the May 9 presidential derby. Failure to get that figure, she losses while Marcos wins.

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