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Why not Chito Sta. Romana? CROSSROADS Jonathan De la Cruz 04/23/2012

Monday, April 23, 2012

Why not Chito Sta. Romana?

CROSSROADS
Jonathan De la Cruz
04/23/2012
Break the impasse: Banish the thought of a quick resolution of the impasse between the Philippines and China over the Scarborough shoal. There is no way that the eight vessels in the area, i.e., three Chinese fishing boats, three Chinese patrol boats the latest and biggest belonging to the Chinese Ministry of Fisheries and two Philippine vessels, one belonging to the Coast Guard and the other a research ship, will simply move out of the disputed territory without as much as a carefully choreographed process to save both countries from any further embarrassment engendered by the harsh rhetoric and precipitate actions which have been thrown in since we intercepted the Chinese fishing vessels some weeks back.

To break the impasse and bring a modicum of calm in the area there is now a need for quiet diplomacy to work. As both of us cannot afford to have any kind of accident in the area, contrived or otherwise, which can exacerbate the already tense situation, there must be a way to lower the temperature and let friendly persuasion and diplomacy take its course.

Which is why even as we are bringing our case to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), a move which P-Noy and Secretary Alberto del Rosario declared they are going to do and to which the Chinese have vehemently objected, we propose that government engage our friend, Chito Sta. Romana, to assist in cooling the heated atmosphere and bring our two countries to talk things over. Instead of impatiently daring each other like children to make the first move which may not be forthcoming at this point, Sta. Romana can possibly draft a mutually acceptable “road map,” so to speak, out of this standoff and bring the same to the attention of the two countries’ leadership..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120423com4.html

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