WHEN in mid-January 2022, Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba, stated his opposition to the plan by the AFP and the United States military to hold live-fire military exercise in his jurisdiction, the Philippine Daily Inquirer headlined Mamba as “Pro-China.”
Is it being ‘pro-China’ to express concern for the welfare and benefits of his constituents when Gov. Mambas said: “That’s live fire. They’re going to test all armaments.
“What will happen to our relationship with our neighbors, especially China? We are trying to reconnect ourselves with China…”
The truth and the fact are that Governor Mamba is just protecting the welfare of the 1,268,603 citizens of Cagayan Province as well as the over 2-million resident of the entire Cagayan region.
Nurturing his relationship with China is only incidental as China indeed is the major present and future investor in economic and other projects in his province and the region which all would redound to the good of his people and the area as a whole.
For this, Mamba is actually being extremely pro-Filipino.
Gov. Mamba’s positions was formalized in two resolutions by the Cagayan provincial anti-drug council and the peace and order council, stating that the live-fire military exercises “may derail the economic blue prints… anchored on the idea of maintaining peaceful and productive relationship with adjacent international partners.”
Mamba also said of the military drills, “It may cause a diplomatic row… We don’t want to anger China here in Cagayan. We see that we could get help from them.”
Governor Mamba is so pro-Filipino he was not afraid to have his interview with the traditionally pro-American imperialist and war party-monger Philippine mainstream media like the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Governor Mamba is actually a very well-rounded leader even for a provincial governor, equipped with geopolitical awareness and sensitivity, realistic in his governance when he pointed to the implications of using live ammunitions during the military drill under the ‘Balikatan’ military exercise.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer of course continues to spew the line fed to it by the US, reporting that “This year’s drills would be held against the backdrop of rising tensions in the West Philippine Sea, where China continues its aggressive encroachments.” Rising tensions, my arse.
This line is so far from reality today as the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia are all defying the US “diplomatic boycott” of the Beijing Winter Olympics and joining the games to be one with China and the world.
What the US has always been trying to do is “gaslight” (create an alternate reality through massive envelopment by Anglosphere media which includes the Philippine mainstream media) Filipinos into thinking there is conflict and tension with China when there is none.
This is what the US is doing in the Ukraine now, drumming up war tensions accusing Russia when it is the one lighting the fire of conflict in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s President Zelensky turned around and even accused the West of banging the drumbeat of war, not Russia.
Chinese investors, both through private initiatives and the government-led new Silk Road of Belt-and-Road-Initiative (BRI), have already invested hundreds-of-billions of dollars in infrastructure, telecommunications, power and other industrial projects; they are also ready to plunk in billions of dollars in the Cagayan Valley region.
What governor of any province wouldn’t like to get some of that investment to generate employment and income for his constituents?
In 2019 the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) announced that it secured $3.9 billion worth of investment commitments from Chinese firms for various projects, namely:
Building a smart city, manufacturing facilities, a marina, water sports training center and private villas, an integrated resort and global entertainment project, a world-class golf course and other leisure and shopping facilities as well as for the expansion of the Cagayan North International Airport.
All of these billions of investments from China that could have uplifted the economic conditions of all Cagayanons have been put in the freezer due to the heat placed by Amboys in the US-dominated Philippine Senate on the economic and trade cooperation between China and the Philippines.
What American local minions are doing, like Sen. Riza Hontiveros, is to hold up the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) ratification with fellow Yellow cohorts Leonie Montemayor and company.
(Samahan si Ka Mentong Laurel at mga panauhin sa “Power Thinks” tuwing Miyerkules @6pm Live Global Talk News Radio (GTNR) sa Facebook at sa Talk News TV sa You Tube; at tuwing Linggo 8 to 10am sa RP1 738khz AM sa radyo.)