NAAWAN, Misamis Oriental (MindaNews / 13 May) – A ranking Chinese official on Tuesday presented a recorded phone conversation purportedly between an embassy diplomat and Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos, chief of the Western Command (Wescom), who said the entire chain of command of the Philippine military was on board with the “new model” for peacefully managing the situation in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.
In a press briefing, Tingog Party-List Rep. Jude Acidre wondered why claims of a new model agreement on the Ayungin Shoal — and Philippine officials agreeing to it supposedly being recorded without their permission — are being brought up now.
Claims that conversations between Chinese and Philippine officials regarding the West Philippine Sea (WPS) were wiretapped may have been meant to distract the public, observed some members of the House of Representatives. The move looks like a divide and control strategy of the Chinese.
Whatever the agreement is all about, the disclosure of the wiretap serves us well.
It implies that the Chinese will do anything, even to muddle the issue, to strengthen their claim of WPS.
These claims from China constitute a breach of trust, those responsible must be punished under our law and/or expelled from the country as suggested by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro.
Unfortunately, directly or indirectly, our authorities allowed wiretapping to happen.
Our national security has been compromised since Rodrigo Roa Duterte took over as President of the Republic. He allowed Chinese maritime militia aka fishing vessels to swarm in our exclusive economic zone and destructively exploit our marine resources. POGO hubs, suspected as Chinese espying facilities were also allowed to operate in strategic locations of the country without any serious assessment of their impact.
The final rub is allowing Chinese telco towers inside the country’s military camps, which could be our most vulgar cooperating submission to Chinese espying in our heartland. That pretty well explains the damaging cyber security breach we are now experiencing.
The treacherous act occurred in 2020 when Duterte permitted the establishment of Dito Telecom towers inside the country’s military camps via an agreement between Mislatel, owner of the Beijing-run telecom provider, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Needless to say, the moronic act compromised our national security beyond anyone’s imagination.
Should the Chinese embassy official who breached our cyber security be punished first for his crime before deporting him to his home country?
On the other hand, can’t we do anything to the man who sold our soul to the devil?
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. William R. Adan, Ph.D., is retired professor and former chancellor of Mindanao State University at Naawan, Misamis Oriental.)