The Davao City Council is making a definitive stand on the West Philippine Sea dispute. It urges the government of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to use all diplomatic means to resolve the issue with China instead of conducting war drills with allied countries.
The local legislative body seemingly believes that the holding of war drills is only stoking the fire that has been smoldering on the China side. The country is insisting that it has historical dominion over that portion of the vast body of water believed to be holding a huge deposit of oil and gas. The same country has also continuously refused to honor the ruling of the United Nations-sanctioned Arbitral Tribunal that ruled in favor of the Philippines on the controverted issue.
China of course, did not agree to the arbitration process sought by the Philippines. So how would that country comply with the arbitral body’s resolution? And ironically, the UN agency is like a paper tiger. It can do a lot of loud growling but it cannot bite.
Yes, the Arbitration body can issue a ruling on any case brought to it for disposition. But it does not have the authority to execute its resolution. In other words the winning party is left alone to find ways to have the ruling implemented in its favor.
The Philippines of course, is pretty aware of its incapability to impose on China the arbitral body’s ruling. So it has to strengthen its alliances with its traditional allied nations and forges new ones to further boost perception of its strength – militarily perhaps.
Unfortunately, China is suspicious of all these strategies of the country and its government feels the Balikatan war exercises together with the Philippine allies, is like sounding the war drums.
For certain it is possibly the collective idea of the members of the Davao City Council that leads it to manifest strongly its abhorrence to war and instead strongly pitches for the diplomatic means of settlement. But is not highlighting the “war scenario” some kind of war mongering? Are not the Council members creating panic among the population?
Has not any of the councilors thought of a less scary term for the Council to manifest its desire for the national government to handle the dispute with China in a less provocative manner?
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We are sad to know that P/Brig. Gen. Alden Delvo has already retired from service, specifically as the Regional Director of the Police Regional Office XI.
We have followed closely the career of General Delvo starting at the time when he was new in the police service assigned here in Davao City and later in some provinces of Southern Mindanao.
At that time we were still an active field reporter of one of the local papers – the Mindanao Daily Mirror. Hence we knew his exploits especially during the time when the city and the entire region were considered the hot bed of the communist insurgency.
In Delvo’s relatively short term as PRO XI director there was a marked improvement in the discipline of the members of the police organization. There was also a huge reduction in crimes committed in his areas of jurisdiction.
Delvo also managed to substantially bring the police organization closer to the people in the community resulting to their much improved cooperation in maintaining peace and order and in helping the police in solving crimes.
We have no doubt that Delvo’s stint as PRO director was a fruitful one and for certain it would be a challenge for the next director to approximate much more to outperform.
But certainly his term will always be his successor’s inspiration.
Good luck to your next endeavor General Alden Delvo. It is unfortunate that we never had the opportunity to personally meet. But we know that for several times you have visited our place on invitation by our common friend the Rev. Fr. Bong Gonzaga. It is still our hope you can have time to drop by our house in your next visits.
