The Philippines under China’s authority
From “Huawei: China’s Top Spy” by Chinh’s News
By JoeAm
The past is dead. Those good old Western-inspired ideals featuring freedom and fairness, truth, compassion and honor have been supplanted by Chinese-inspired ideals featuring control and favor, lies, brutality and utility. This is not speculation. This is the real world in the Philippines, today.
Press freedom? Dead. Freedom of speech? Dead. Fairness under rules of law and ethics? Dead. Democratic institutions representing and protecting the people? Dead. Inclusion and protection of the poor and disadvantaged? Dead. Equality of races and genders? Dead. Freedom of religion? Dead. Civility? Dead.
It is a done deal because people accept these new values. You can’t have freedom with no demand for it. You can’t have truth when people like gossip. You can’t have equality when the only recognized social currency is power.
Alignment with China has pushed the nation quickly away from democracy and the view that the people are in charge to the authoritarian state and the view that the people are subjects to be used, managed, and even disposed of by people at the top of the tower of power.
You can’t be part way along the continuum toward the new values because once you cross the line, you are committed to them as values, as standards, as the way we agree to live.
The Philippine Constitution? Dead.
The Philippines cannot BE exactly like China because Filipinos do not possess that important attribute of believing they deserve to be the center of the world, and the nation lacks the power to impose its will. There can be only one center, and it is China. All other nations are stacked beneath China’s authority. They are there to be developed for China’s well-being.
The belt and road is actually a ball and chain. And in the hierarchy of authority, Filipinos will forever be maids and banana sellers. Except for the powerful and rich who have some importance to China because they can keep the lies churning out in local languages and run the authoritarian policing institutions that arrest, jail, or kill the disruptors. They are basically work shop managers, these important people like Duterte, Pimentel, Sotto, Arroyo, Andaya, Poe, Gordon, Calida, Panelo, Locsin, Lorenzana, Bato, Go, Ejercito, and Angara. They manage the programs, the propaganda, and the labor to be deployed to China’s best advantage.
Look around. Merely fit what you see like jigsaw puzzle pieces into the controlling model of authoritarianism described clearly in these excerpts from a Freedom House report done way back in 2013:
The CCP maintains direct control over news media coverage through its Central Propaganda Department (CPD) and corresponding branches at lower administrative levels that determine the boundaries of permissible reporting. A number of additional government agencies are involved in overall regulation of the media sector. Routinely forbidden topics include calls for greater autonomy in Tibet and Xinjiang, relations with Taiwan, the persecution and activism of the Falun Gong spiritual group, the writings of prominent dissidents, and unfavorable coverage of CCP leaders.
Journalists who attempt to investigate or report on controversial issues, question CCP rule, or present a perspective that conflicts with state propaganda directives face harassment, dismissal, and abuse.
Members of religious and ethnic minorities are subject to particularly harsh treatment for their online activities, writings, or efforts to disseminate information that departs from the CCP line.
My friends, this is our new world, too. It’s as clear as a hastily drawn up matrix. And it won’t change. It is drawn by need from the poor masses, promoted by people who gain enrichment by doing China’s bidding, and imposed by China and her immense need to dominate.
The Philippines will this year start to roll out a national identification system (Philsys) targeting about 26 million enrollees by the end of next year. Manila will soon have a widespread video network watching and tracking citizens. It is a part of the Build Build Build infrastructure program. The State’s propaganda program is already powerful and well-funded. China is the architect for these capabilities. Huawei, a Chinese telecom provider, funded in part by Chinese security agencies and operating under a government mandate to spy for China, is deeply involved in Philippine telecom networks. Huawei’s phones and modems are everywhere.
Government’s authoritarian methods are right in plain sight. Jailing of a senator, dismissal of a troublesome Chief Justice, lists drawn up with help from “foreign” sources, harassment of journalists, the absurd “matrix” alleging collusion among journalists where there is none, abandonment of Marawi, development of Boracay for Chinese interests, jobs given to Chinese construction workers rather than Filipino, massive propaganda efforts to seat Bong Go in the Senate, killing of poor drug users with no due process or case work-ups, weaponized justice cases (Trillanes, Ressa), and capitulation by the Philippines to China’s theft of Philippine seas and foods.
Look at it simply.
You are no longer free.
And the walls are closing in.
It would take a national commitment to retain independence in the face of China’s enormous influence and will to dominate. That commitment does not exist in the Philippines. Not from the people. Not from leaders. Not from the business community.
Remember fondly what it was like when you were whole as an individual, empowered by the freedom to make responsible choices.
Now, you are an order-taker, a resource. An asset.
And you are disposable.
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
I wish you are wrong.
Every Chinese New Year for the past 3 years, we are greeted.
*****
1. I am amazed at the speed by which China has enveloped and captured the Philippines. Less than two and a half years.
2. I am equally amazed by the silence at the top, at the absence of protest from the Senate.
3. I am equally amazed at the global strategy of China, of how they have penetrated and established roots in Africa, South America, Oceania, parts of Europe, and many countries in Asia. It seems everyone was asleep while the Yellow Tide surreptitiously crept in. As Napoleon feared, the sleeping giant has been awake for some time and has moved — is moving — the world.
4. It is strange how radical Islam has fallen silent and not reacted in its usual violent way to the Uighur re-education camps and to the assault on Islam as a mental disease.
5. The question is: Is the Chinese incursion and the spread of the Yellow Tide in the Philippines reversible? It seems your view is on the dime: “That commitment does not exist in the Philippines.”
5.1. In a strange irony, the dilawans are here.
6. Once a colony, always a colony? But this time the neo-colonists have no redeeming humanist qualities. No Christianity. No democracy.
*****
Yes. The door was held open by dozens of Filipino leaders bumping one another to get to the front of the gravy train.
“3. I am equally amazed at the global strategy of China”. They are there to stay.
One question is whether they will “rule the world” like they would so much like to.
Some European countries have decided to negotiate instead of just joining OBOR.
————
5. “That commitment does not exist in the Philippines.” I quote Ninotchka Rosca now.
There is a scene at the beginning of her novel “State of War” where a young Filipina does not fight back when a Spanish priest rapes her, “as she knew the best legs of chicken and women were reserved for the clergy”. Years later she is his mistress with several kids.
There is also a comic scene where it is described that women on the rooftops of Manila in 1898 are doing an up-and-down exercise to prepare for the rumored larger American d-cks.
———–
The point being, some countries decide to shape their own destiny in the face of reality.
Some decide to prepare for what happens and accept it when it happens, and adjust.
Rather admirable approach, actually. Sometimes maybe our high falutin’ principles end up causing more pain than its worth.
Big brother is watching PH.
PH will soon introduce its own version of CH’s “social credit system”.
Good thing we are ningas kugon, we can’t finish what we start.
CH is aware of this and they’re exploiting this attitude to their advantage. Like the way they exploited the opportunity to grab our islands while most of us are busy watching our favorite teleseryes, noon-time shows, and while we’re so pre-occupied scanning our Facebook time lines. Our libraries are empty, our schools are busy teaching nonsense, but the malls and Starbucks are packed.
“Good thing we are ningas kugon, we can’t finish what we start.”
CH will start it for us, and they’ll use us like cogon to fuel their economy until PH’s resources are finished.
DuterThanos is taking us all to the endgame, like chickens.
With the corruption, a black market to dump excess Pasaway Points to a poor adik or spread them among oppositionists might develop, a hacker group that gives them to the likes of Bong Revilla or JV Ejercito is unlikely.
Trolling here can decrease PPs while posting sense means plus 20PPs per comment, plus 120PPs per article.
Truly great article. Thank you. – Anders Corr
Glad you found it meaningful, Anders. Good of you to say so.
A nice analysis Dr. Corr
https://www.rappler.com/nation/216911-analysis-splitting-palawan-may-benefit-china
“If China wants a military base on Palawan, mining rights, or fishing rights, after breakup it would have multiple officials with whom it can negotiate or bribe, playing one against the other,” Corr said.
Dang! Very plausible.
Grim reality today! — With fear and trembling, I await the day May 13: Götterdämmerung?
Yes, a defining, day, I’d say.
An example of how the Masters of today behave in Manila:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2386664118031473&id=100000637244194
Also: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156703921427851&id=600347850
And this.
http://pageone.ph/chinese-only-food-park-in-alabang-brewed-comments-from-filipino-netizens/
My fear is outright.invasion in the guise of protecting their citizens in the country. Fan anti chinese sentiments, then invade us to protect their citizens. They will concentrate their people in strategic places like palawan, marawi, cebu, moa, clark, subic.
Won’t happen that way, Gian They have sunk too many trillions in WIP in so many other countries. They are terribly exposed themselves. They need to retain goodwill and trust. Plus they know thet are not on par with US yet militarily.
I hope you are right chempo.
My view precisely. The anti Chinese sentiment is raising all over the world now. Even European leaders, who are still blinkered, started to limit Chinese influence and ability to buy. In the meantime I think that China played their cards to early and with too much arrogance. They might take over ports or islands like Boracay, but if they will be able to hang on to it is another matter. No doubt May 13 will be a defining moment for the Philippines short and midterm future outlooks.
I’m not optimistic about the 13th myself. The game is rigged, not cheating at the ballot box that I know of, but the enormous State and vested-interest resources being put behind candidates like Marcos and Go.
lol! if you’ve seen duterte’s drug matrix cooked up in manila times, implicating journalists and bikoy whistleblower as out to oust duterte, the whole matrix sunbursting looks to me like the ventosa cups on the back of senatorial candidate bong go accused of being drug baron. the matrix could fit bong go’s back! is what I mean. yeah, yeah, bong go showed his naked backside minus the dragon tattoo that supposed to signify triad membership.
as for imee marcos and her fake law doctorate in UP and she having masters degree in colleges other than UP that dont offer masters degree, aba! imee should know her brother bong marcos also spend ultra big last election in 2016, and still bong marcos lost. has to contend himself with election protest na lang po, and things are not looking good for bong marcos.
may the 13th, lucky for others, unlucky for some. I’n hopeful otso diretso will get senate seats!
Plus they are in a debt crisis themselves.
But said to improve in the second quarter.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/22/chinas-debt-levels-to-worsen-in-2019-morgan-stanley.html
But it is also reported that China will be the cause of the next Global Financial Crisis.
https://www.asiatimes.com/2019/03/article/china-weak-link-in-brewing-global-debt-crisis/
That’s good as they will also be the biggest loosers in it….. I seriously wonder if China is able to control their populous when the people loose everything with a bang.
I have wasted my breath until I’m blue in the face trying to get Filipinos to understand their future under China. I’m tired now as they show no interest. Just a simple smile and the subject gets changed. I repeatedly hear them say. Put it in Jesus’s hands. He will fix it. The problem with that is Jesus is not Chinese. So I must digress and now realize the subject will need to be “where do expat fit into the equation?” So the old saying goes, if you can’t beat them then join then. But with that brings guilty feelings. We all know the future in the Philippines. The Chinese will not show any Mercy. But at some time we must realize the Titanic is going down and the life boats are few. I’m retired from the US Military and we had a quote that pretty sums things up. “Thou live to save lives, the sea shall take the rest.’ what is our future as expats?
Yes, the lack of passion for patriotism in the Philippines, at least as we understand it, is perplexing. There are reasons for it. Disenfranchisement, poor education, poverty, dynastic power mongering . . . so we can shout until we are blue in the face and be met with blank stares. Acceptance without bitterness is what I strive for, because it is easy to be bitter about it.
The Chinese Social Credit System is Big Brother on steroids. People will notice when they are banned from entering a plane or a train, the bank does not give them credit, they can not rent a flat in a good area, their kids can not go to university.
The sparse feedback I get when I am warning of such, for example the video surveillance program, speaks volumes. I also believe that most of the people in politics do not understand the dangers of ideology paired with the (ab)use of the technologies, and others who do, might welcome a full 24/7 everywhere surveillance for population control.
This Chinese technology in hands of a government like that, operated by by a criminal PNP is the worst dystopic nightmare I can think of. The Chinese are really not bringing any good.
Yes, I believe there is a huge blind spot as to what is going on in China, rather an easy way to see what the future holds for the Philippines.
The declination with the US and the alignment with China does not mean death of free speech, it does not mean death of law and order, it does not mean death of press freedom nor death of democracy. We have been with the US after world war 2 and even before that, and a declaration of cutting the tie of dependency with the US is always a positive move for an independent Philippines. The pivot with China is not as demonic as others may portrait, it is somewhat like the portrayal of globalization, both have advantages and disadvantages. One may hate as much the globalization while the other may see it as the opportunity of a lifetime, same holds true with the pivot to China.
Hmmm the disappearance of Rappler..the shutting up o De Lima ..the fact that withougt the USA you would all be speaking Japanese, the fact that drug lords actually ONLY operate where they can make a profit..that aint th Philippines……you dibble much.
Since when did rappler (dot) com disappeared? Last visit i made to that website was this afternoon, and i am still seeing rappler news feed on my facebook. The shutting up of De Lima is politics, and in the realm of politics, prosecution of the opposition is a fair game, and that was the norm even before DU30, remember GMA and CJ Corona and the three senators jailed at the time of PNoy? There is nothing wrong speaking Japanese, but i bet you are referring to WW2 were the US freed us from the Japanese? Are you implying that we would be thankful to the US because of that? Or should i say US rather would be thankful to the Philippines since we did not sided with the Japanese and rebel against US during that time? Well, that was war and its ended, might be you are correct that we will forever be thankful to the US that they help us against those barbaric Japanese. But it does not mean that we will also forever live our lives within the shadow of the US as a gratitude.
To add, DU30 did not actually remove US on the PH Map. US military bases are sprouting again all over, one is already operational in Palawan. Thanks to PNoy with his EDCA. If DU30 acts dumb he would have declared void that EDCA already.
duterte has gone dumber, now fighting canada he is. gonna bury canadian beaches in garbage, uhm, make it dumping garbage in canadian embassy in manila. I’m so hoping he’d do it. a thousand times yes please do it! I want to see if duterte really have the guts to do it, let alone void edca. he talks of voiding edca, talks a plenty only. and yet balikatan exercises go on and right under duterte’s dump truck of a nose, lol!
as for palawan, it is duterte’s wish that it be divided into three regions and awaiting plebiscite. palawan is being readied for divide and conquer and my guess is, china will benefit the most. already, boracay is being little china with chinese shops popping up like wild mushrooms. operated by the chinese, their workers mostly chinese, their signage are in chinese as well and chinese customers are preferred. and internal revenue is having harder to hardest time making the chinese pay taxes: their businesses are unregistered, their chinese workers are undocumented and they turned deaf ears to pleadings and blind to local laws.
despite all, habits die hard and pinoys still trust americans more than they trust the chinese. many pinoys still live and work in estados unidos and sending much needed dollars back home. and many speak even better english than americans, lol!
@kasambahay
Well, if i were to be given options where to live, US or China, no argument, il choose US!
Du30’s tirades to Canada are bluffs. He could not go to war, he cannot even if he wanted to. What maybe you are missing here is that, by bluffing with threat of war, DU30 is gaining attention, much attention than talking with decency. Its all publicity. Now the world will talk about this garbage and war. Its public shaming of sorts. He may put himself in a spot where he will be branded as a mad man, void of decency and all, but behind that, everyone will know that Canada’s wastes were still here.
Du30 wanted to void EDCA before, but that was when Obama was the president. He did a change of heart when Trumps won.
As i have said, the influx of Chinese here in PH have both advantages and disadvantages. Its up to the us and our leaders on how to handle that and reap the best out of it. China is invading the world. My friend from US sent me balikbayan boxes where the products are all “made in China.”
Re Canada — I understand and I agree with you. He needed to get Canada’s attention or else things won’t move. But certainly, the fact that Canada is so far away was factored in. In anycase, I think for me Duterte would have done better if he had pulled up the guys who imported those garbages and let them have the contents in the containers for breakfast, lunch, diner and supper.
Getting Canada govt’s att it was attention is just part of the matter. There is the trade contract legality. It may be trash, but is was a legal international trade.
Re Change of heart on EDCA — come on, he is under tremendous pressure with his non-transparent relationship with China. People are getting pissed, and he knows the ground ain’t sweet no more. Plus the sight of 300 Chinese vessels at those fishing grounds is too damaging for him politically. He needs to be seen to do something. Hence, tail between legs he goes regarding EDCA plus UN Tribunal award..
EDCA. A dictator giving in to tremendous pressures? Or a reasonable man listening to reasons? Whatever which, tucking tails or what not, he did play the right cards. US wants military bases, China wants business, DU30 is giving that to them!
You know whats lacking of that UN Tribunal award? Fangs and claws, you have the award who will do the sheriffs jobs?
Her Andres have you heard of ChinaAid? Of course not cos it don’t exist. Have you heard of UsAid? Yes? Do you know how much has been poured into Philippines?
@ chemrock
USAid. Thats good since its an aid. But, behind every assistance lies the hidden interest of the one giving the assistance, to note, political interest.
You should pull out the lists of USAid and check off what Philippines got and what was given away. That would be educational. Ad hominens mean nothing.
What PH got from USAid? Weapon of wars substantially i bet.
What PH gives? PH giving her grounds for the US for the latter to maintain her military prowess in the area.
So someone clarify something for me here. So its okay for China to seize islands and atolls claimed by the Philippines in waters it has exclusive legal rights over and build artificial island military bases on them to enfirce its takeover? Andres, can you please elaborate on your logic and explain the advantages over ADCA and using US Aid to help the Philippones protect its sovereignity?
What Andres meant is this:
1. What Philippines take from USAid, or EUaid, or Worldbank, etc is not good because of strings attached and Philippines give away more than value received. He refused to support with facts of what Philippines has received but conveniently say military hardware. He refused to admit aids in social and institutional development and that strings were mainly to incentives Filipinos to improve governance in relation to the projects assisted.
2. On the other hand, Andres is OK to Philippines giving away territory, jobs, sovereignty, fishing grounds, economic resources, development projects BUT receiving no ChinaAid.
1. Since you mentioned USAid first, and passed me on the burden of citing the benefits of it, might as well you yourself point it out?
2. What sovereignty, what territory, what jobs, what fishing grounds, what economic resources did PH gave away? Care to share that?
I am guessing TSOH members and visitors can figure out the literacy and logic or the lack of it in these differing responses to the EDCA and AID responses. TSOH should establish higher standards for trollish intelligence and sophistication to be established and accepted as being one of us.I am afraid blanket denial and feigned ignorance just does not cut it.
I have no idea what you are talking about. The blog has the highest standards.
Thats a high standard for sophisticated trollish behavior??
“2. What sovereignty, what territory, what jobs, what fishing grounds, what economic resources did PH gave away? Care to share that?”
Andres advocates the pro-China position. It seems somehow wrong to censor it out of the dialogue even if it seems trollish. Indeed, his position may be more morally correct than that of yellows if we accept authoritarianism as a legitimate form of government. As do most of the Filipinos you suggest ought not be condemned.
a troll, a droll, the world is big enough. grassrooters like me dont care much for labels, we have been called worse, lol! and shoulder on, we did. survivors we are. so china is pushing my kind out from our tiny piece of pinas. not okay. I’m not pro china, pro me ako and pro my fellow beings, pro jobs and pro clean govt in pinas. not a sin to have simple mind, not against the constitution yan.
it’s just so hard watching my fellow beings killed or accused and drugs is always default. harder still to watch agreements signed that give jobs to chinese and not to pinoys. and there is offshot, already there are 130K chinese illegal workers and not paying tax, using infrastructures but dont pay for thier upkeep and maintenance. already metro manila is busting at the seams, water and electricity are getting scarce. and the govt solution to crisis? use less water; conserve energy, when none is available, lol!
likewise, pinas territory is shrinking, china’s 9dash line is creeping closer. pinas exclusive economic zone is anything but. as well, the giant clams what were seeded by pinoy scientists in the 80s to make marine life healthy and viable are now dead. dead giant clams littered ocean floor, stolen and killed by the chinese not for food but for their much priced shells the equivalent to ivory.
if there is universal scourge that would be china, lol!
My country (Italy) just signed an important economical agreement with China and it seems like Italy and the Philippines are going down the same road. My wife is Pinoy or “Chinoy”… little by little the Western-Filipino culture shock that I’ve experienced for 20 years is melting away due to the merging of the two countries into the Chinese model of the world….
eduardomaresca, I’m hoping your country Italy is not a sheep being led, that Italy can apply the brakes early enough and see that those agreements signed are indeed beneficial for Italy and not just for china.
china is in a habit of taking patrimonial assets as collateral, if Italy cannot pay off belt and road loans, china can take possession of say, the colosseum? and be prepared for influx of chinese illegal drugs, they usually follow chinese investments, lol!
most drugs in pinas are chinese made and manufactured, bigger to biggest drug lords and drug barons are mostly chinese and their sympathizers.
The Chinese have already taken possession of our bars and cafeterias and the sikat na Italian cappuccino ay naging “cappuIntsik”…..also, the Italian mafia is being replaced by Chinese mafia
Have all the Italian bartenders gone to Germany?
I have already heard of the Chinese sweatshops in Southern Italy..
Parang ganito. Italy is becoming Intsikland but, at least, that is helping me accellerate the process of overcoming culture shock with my Filipina as our two worlds are merging into Big Mama China….
be careful with big mama china, she has habit of smothering her babies!
….I know. Mine was biro lang. I’ve found healthier ways to deal with culture shock.
Poor people of the Philippines,
Joe we need more prayers to save our country,and miracle will be on the way.
God bless the Philippines.
emily, I’m reminded of a song, do not worry over what to eat, what to wear or put upon the feet, trust and pray go do your best today, and leave it in the hands of the lord.
apparently, before we can leave all in the hands of the lord, we have to go and do our best as well. so, let’s go and do our best! and question those that need to be questioned, knock and it will be opened to you.
Offtopic
if it is true that OtsoDiretso is doing good in the University mock elections, then that means the youth vote, which is like majority of the voters, will be Otso diretso’s means to victory.
That’s great, Karl.
But how the Chinese will mock our election either by manipulating the result or through e-blackpropaganda, that’s what I’m worried about. They already have the technology, J. Paredes learned this the hard way.
early on sinabi ko na I’m for otso diretso. I’m wasting my vote I was told.
that’s okay, it’s my vote to waste and squander. mine! I’ve been spat at and ridiculed and still I’m for otso diretso. and many others are of similar sentiments: our votes, our decision, we’ll vote for as long as we’re able. maybe, in the future, voting may well not be allowed and public office will be for life deserving or not. in the meantime, otso diretso ako.
Ouch! That really hurts.
Not a nice way to say hello to TSHers from one in a vacation place with family. I am still reading with interests the blogs since last I wrote some three weeks ago. Keep the faith fellows, however difficult that may be.
The sipsip-ery, ignorance, and apathy have reached epic proportions. And it will probably get much worse before better, if ever.
https://manilapagpag.wordpress.com
Epic proportions. Yes, indeed. Perfect description.
The Filipino mentality is known for its high adaptability, even for mimicry (imitation of others).
So somehow it pretends to be Catholic and democratic, and will pretend to be Chinese also.
But the easygoing, tropical Filipino temperament already proved incompatible to the Japanese one.
It would get along with the Straits Chinese mentality, that of Singaporean and Malaysian Chinese.
The pushiness of Mainlanders will be in the long run very hard to bear even for patient Filipinos..
Sharp readout. Chameleons.
Truly…unless we the people.a critical mass resist.China and Duterte had held us captive.GMA,Villar ,the likes of sotto and Gordon are typical lapdog politicians. This all about money and power as for Duterte at al.,#WE RESIST.
https://opinion.inquirer.net/121005/chinas-place-in-todays-world – Randy David:
..Armed with its tremendous economic capacity, China today behaves more or less like the United States at the end of World War II, or surplus-rich Japan in the 1980s. It leverages its economic clout not just to create more wealth for itself and its companies, but to extend its sphere of influence to other areas. The use of economic aid or official development assistance is key to this strategy. It is certainly not unique to China. The old term for it is neocolonialism..
..Of all the unconventional positions President Duterte has taken, it is his declared pivot to China that is potentially the costliest in political terms. That public approval of his presidency remains high despite his obsequious pro-Chinese pronouncements only shows the public’s general indifference to foreign-policy issues. But the moment Filipinos begin to feel that mainland Chinese are taking over their neighborhoods and their jobs, the political equation could change overnight.. – except that Filipinos will usually care only the moment their own neighborhood or job or that of someone close to them is affected – so there..
always, always, always, pinoys are reminded time and time again that duterte’s public approval remains high. feats of clay yan, to my simple mind. gotta remind the public for they so easily forget. and I’ve forgotten already, lol!