BILATERAL, NOT WAR NOR MULTILATERAL DIPLOMACY IS WHAT WE NEEDOMACY, IS BEST SOL

I learned from a recent Inquirer Editorial that Kalayan, part of the multi-contested Sratlys group in the South China Sea, is 285 nautical miles away from Palawan.  This compares with the Scarborough Shoal, in turn less than 200 nautical mailes from Zambales.  We have always said that the Scarborough belongs to us because it is very much within the Philippnes exclusive economic zone as provided by the Unclos.  If the 200 EEZ is indeed the basis of a country's sovereignty on a contested island or reef, does it follow that the Kalayaan does not strictly speaking belongs to us?

But one wonders, if that is the case, then why is it that so far no other country with a standing claim on the Spratlys has ever formally contested our occupancy of Kalayaan, where we have even put up a municipality, even as it is clearly outside our 200 nautical miles of EEC?  Two probable explanations would come to the fore in this connection.  One, no other country may be as near to Kalayaan as we are.  And two, we might be the first country, among those with standing claims on the Spratlys, to have put structures in Kalayaan, including a municipal hall and an elementary school where the Philippine flag is supposedly now flying high.

This brings me to my thesis.  Why don't we also start putting up similar structures in the Scarborough shoals?
A recent news says another country, I don't recall which, already has existing structures there.  Chances are, China will hasten to prevent us from doing so.  There's really no harm in trying.  Tila unahan at takutan lang naman yata 'yan, di ba.  I remember -- one may dig up the Internet if he wants to -- there were several reports before the present administration when we have not been molested by China on the Scarborough as it is doing now.  One news item then even reported that when we tried to drive away Chinese fishermen in the area, one of them who resisted arrest was killed by our own authorities there, while several were arrested. Those were the relatively good old days when certain mutual respect had existed between China and the Philippines.

It is indeed a mystery why China has suddenly become provocative or terribly defensive in this regard.  Maybe, just maybe, we really have to talk to China on strictly one-on-one basis, just exactly the "bilateral" diplomacy that China keeps saying it will only agree on.  Our disappointing experience with the ASEAN should tell us straight to our ears that we cannot rely any on multi-lateral diplomacy. As things are, parang nagiging arogante yata tayo, in saying we are building up our military capabilities through war equipment that the US is ready to provide us.  Are we really prepared for war?  And of all nations, against China?

As things are, why don't we seriously try to settle this strictly bilaterally - well perhaps in the same way that we sent VP Binay to China before to appeal for Filipins scheduled for execution then for being drug pushers.  Of course, I know Binay failed in that vision.  But who knows, we may succeed to at least convince China towards a joint exploration of the Scarborough Shoal resources between our two countries.  After all, Binay was then appealing for criminals; with the Scarborough stand-off, we are exercising what we believe is our right.  There's surely a hell of a difference between the two.