Gringo: PH needs plan amid overlapping claims with China

Senatorial candidate Gringo Honasan said the Philippines needs a plan on how it can defend itself amid overlapping claims with China in the West Philippine Sea.

In an interview, Honasan said no country would want war and that diplomacy was still the way to resolve the issue between the two countries.

The former military officer said the country still needed to be prepared.

“Wala namang bansang naghahanap ng away. Bago pa natin makilala ang Hapon, mga Kastila, nakikipagnegosyo na tayo sa mga Intsik… Ako naman, dapat daanin muna natin sa diplomasya. Naniniwala akong walang bansang gusto makipag gyera, pero ang aking mungkahi ay kailangan may plano tayo,” he said.

(No country is looking for a fight. Before we even met the Japanese and the Spanish, we were already engaged in commerce with the Chinese… In my opinion, I think we should choose diplomacy first. I believe that no country wants to go to war, but in my opinion we need to have a plan.)

Honasan said every Filipino should be ready to live up to the last line of the National Anthem.

“Kung hindi natin kaya protektahan ang mga mangingisda natin, ano naman ang karapatan natin para tawagin ‘yung sarili natin na isang malaya na republika?” Honsan said on Bicol TV Sorsogon.

(If we cannot protect our fishermen, what is our right to call ourselves a free republic?)

“Ang buong Pilipinas ay isang hukbo yan, at inaasahan ko na bawat mamamayang Pilipino… ay kayang panindigan ang huling linya ng Pambansang Awit: Ang mamatay ng dahil sa 'yo,” he continued.

(The entire Philippines is an army, and I expect every Filipino citizen… to uphold the last line of the National Anthem: To die for the country.)

Despite this, he recalled the previous historical colonization attempts of the Spanish, Americans, and Japanese and how the country was able to regain independence despite these periods in its history.

Honasan is running for Senator under the Reform PH - People's Party. A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, Honasan formerly served as an officer of the Philippine Army. He entered politics where he was elected to the Senate from 1995 to 2004 and 2007 to 2019. — RF, GMA Integrated News

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