Filipinos should prepare to defend nation vs. China –Norberto Gonzales

Presidential candidate and former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales on Monday said that Filipinos should assert their position that they are willing to defend the country against China if ever a war was waged over the West Philippine Sea.

During the Catholic E-Forum hosted by Radio Veritas, Gonzales explained that preparing for war does not mean the Philippines is asking for it, but in case it happens, it is not foolish to fight back against China.

“Let us assert certain positions. Number one, if China loves their country, we love ours also. If China is prepared to defend their nation, we are also prepared to defend our nation,” he added.

“Ang giyera, hindi lamang sa armas ang pinaguusapan. Pinaguusapan din ang quality ng sambayanan na inyong aatakihin. Kailangan ayusin natin ‘yan. That is why I am advocating national mobilization,” he said.

(War is not just about weapons. It also talks about the quality of the nation you will attack. We need to fix that. That is why I am advocating for national mobilization.)

Gonzales earlier welcomed Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte's proposal for a mandatory military service program for 18-year-olds, believing it will help increase the number of Army reservists in the country.

He then said the proposed military service program "will provide the nation the size and quality of manpower it needs to face or combat the full range of national security threats and similar emergencies."

“Ang ipakikita natin nang husto diyan, meron tayong sambayanan na sanay, na organisado, na handang magtanggol sa bayan kung kinakailangan,” he said.

(What we will show is we have people who are trained, organized, and are ready to defend the country if necessary.)

“Hindi nangangahulugan ‘yan na naghahamon tayo ng giyera. Pero dapat natin ipakita sa kanila na kapag tayo ay ginyera, hindi na magtatangka ‘yung mga sambayanan natin na magtatakbuhan o masusuhulan o magiging traydor sa bansa. Hindi pwede,” he added.

(That does not mean we are challenging China to a war. But we must show them that when they attack us, our people will no longer try to run away, be bribed, or become traitors to the country. That should not be the case.)

Gonzales, who also served as National Security Adviser during the Arroyo administration, said that the Philippines had the means to prepare for this possibility as there were a huge number of young adults in the country.

“If we will increase our reserve force to ten to 20 million, kahit walang hawak na baril ‘yan, formidable ‘yan. Alaahanin natin na diyan nagsimula ang China—maraming tao, walang hawak. Ngayon, umunlad na sila. Darating tayo diyan,” he said.

(If we increase our reserve force to 10-20 million, even if we cannot arm them, that is formidable. Let us remember that that is where China began — they have many people holding no guns. Now, they have thrived. We will come to that.)

He added that the United States might also lose its respect for the Philippines if the government keeps on running away every time there is conflict.

Philippine envoy to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez earlier said that the Philippines had received $600 million in military assistance from the United States since 2016.

Romualdez also noted that the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) contributed to this milestone of obtaining a “fair share of resistance,” making the Philippine military able to withstand any kind of assault from the outside, including China.

The Philippine government sued China before an international arbitral tribunal in The Hague in 2013. It ruled in favor of the Philippines in July 2016 when it junked China's nine-dash claim over the South China Sea.

China however rejected the Philippines' call to comply with the 2016 arbitration ruling, calling the decision "illegal and invalid.” — DVM, GMA News