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Alright, speaking of West Philippine Sea, may bagong billboards si Rizal Ontiveros, sinin mo sakin? Anong drama?

Well, there were several billboards na lumabas ngayon sa EDSA, together with Manny Pacquiao, Rizal Ontiveros, and other NGOs.

Basically, calling for Filipinos to support the frontliners in the West Philippine Sea, fishermen and Coast Guard, and then asking them to join a convoy next month going to BRP Sierra Madre for an early Christmas.

A Christmas convoy bringing gifts to Coast Guards and the soldiers in BRP Sierra Madre.

So I think it's going to be an interesting convoy because they're going to design the boats as Christmas boats with parol, with Christmas lights, with Christmas trees,

with belen, with a child in the manger, et cetera. And then full of media, full of fishermen, full of youth leaders going there.

Actually, may hirapan ng China. Pag hinarangan nila, they will look bad. Pag pinagpaginadaan nila, talo sila. So it's a dummy to do, dummy to do strategy.

The billboards, I think part of the campaign. Ang problema ay pinabanatan si Rizal for early campaign.

Pero he's not running for the midterms. He's just one couple of months in the early campaign.

What early campaign?

2028. This is crazy.

So nakakatawa. Pero hindi mo kailangan ng reason, hindi mo kailangan ng logic para magbash it. So yun yung nangyayari.

Okay, before we go to the operational military aspect of this, of course I wrote just a piece on this on latest satellite imagery that shows significant improvements across ETCA.

Let's just stick to this issue of Riza. It's very interesting. It looks like Riza right now is kind of like Justice Scarpio times Pinoy times.

She's becoming like the embodiment of the West Philippine Sea fight. Parang mother Philippines type.

In a sense that you're mainstreaming this, making it like an everyday issue. Parang household issue na yung West Philippine Sea.

Not in terms of urgency. Of course it's not the same level of inflation or employment. I understand it.

But it's like West Philippine Sea right now is an everyday issue in ways that was unthinkable not long ago.

I mean this is quite interesting. I mean Ronald, did you ever think in your lifetime that this will happen?

And then you also mentioned something very interesting. Yung they're going to make this very festive. Festive geopolitics.

Parang it connects with those nuts that put flowers in the gun of during Riza or during yung mga revolution in Latin America.

It's a very interesting way of soft power talaga. Soft power but high stakes soft power.

Because how do you confront the biggest Navy in the world? How do you confront the biggest armed forces in the world?

Then you use their weight against them. And one thing we are strong with is culture.

Where religion is also part of culture. So hindi ko ma-imagine how the Chinese will respond.

How the Chinese Navy will respond to a convoy of boats, fishing vessels na palibot ng parol, palibot ng Christmas lights, may Christmas tree.

Some of them will even be bringing Santa Claus and then gifts. Gifts on the bow of the ship.

Pag hinarang nila yan, magkagalit ang mga Pinoy. Pag pinadaan nila, parang silang talo doon sa issue ng Ayumi and PRP Sierra Madre na for now, galit na galit sila.

It's a good tactic. It's a good tactic. Tingin ko it's a win-win situation for those who organized this project.

Si Risa, from the past six years naman talaga, critical siya sa China. For the past six years, siya yung front line ng criticism against China.

Itong nakaraang taon, galit na galit siya sa China dahil publicly she met the president of Taiwan.

Naka lima, alin yata na diplomatic protest in China sa ating DFA for that trip alone. Kalawa, siya lang practically nag-iisang opposition sa Senate.

Ikatlo, dito sa engagement si Sarah, kung si Congresswoman Castro ang front line sa Congress, sa Senate si Risa yung front line.

So, in a way, logical yung narrative na ito for her.

Amazing, no? We have all these strong women at the very forefront. I'm just so proud to say that as a man.

I come from a country where it's really this Amazon. We have these strong women. I'm really proud and really happy with that.

As a Filipina, I think that's what makes us really special in so many ways.

Now, obviously, aside from doing this public diplomacy, this festive diplomacy, soft power diplomacy, we're doing things that are also not very soft.

Let's talk about the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. Let's talk about things we're doing on the ground to actually enhance our position.

Now, speaking of enhanced, let's talk about the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

There is a new report by the Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative by the CSIS in Washington, D.C.

Of course, for transparency purposes, I do also contribute to them, and I've also written on the latest analysis.

The title is More Than Meets the Eye. Di ito pa-cute lang, pa-pogi lang. Maraming nangyayari.

If you're China, you have more than just the flotilla and the festive diplomacy to worry about. You have many different sites to worry about.

So, if you're in China right now, you should be very, very worried if you read this report.

So, base sa reports na yan, dun sa nine different bases on EDCA, actually many developments have been happening.

The most developed so far is in BASA Air Base, sa may Pampanga, na hindi ganun kalayo sa Panatakshol.

At siya po ay nagreceive ng $66.57 million from the United States for the improvement of a whole host of projects,

including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, command and control infrastructure, fuel storage, runaway improvements, and aircraft parking.

Of course, that will be very important just in case there'll be contingency and all, magpadala ka ng mga aircrafts.

We also see a lot of improvement in Bautista Air Base, na malapit naman jan sa Spratlys or Calayan group of islands.

But yung Balabac Island po, nearby ito, nasa Palawan dito, nagde-develop na rin po tayo ng isang multi-kilometer long runway already.

So, so much is going on. And of course, in the north of the Philippines, there are now conversations also about the US help building port facilities in Batanes,

in addition to the sites, military sites that will be developed jan sa Cagayan and Isabela.

So, whoa, a lot of things are happening. And as I argue, if you're China right now, you have to figure out anong i-prioritize mo jan,

in the sense that if you press the Philippines Sea like a balloon, we could expand somewhere else, right?

So, there's so much room for negotiations here. I think this shows if the Philippines takes the initiative, it gives the leverage to us.

So, now we can talk to the Chinese and say, bubulin mo kami sa West Philippine Sea, lagot kayo sa amin sa Taiwan.

Bubulin kami dito. I think now, again, this is not to praise BBM or anything like that, but in fairness, the Philippines is in quite a sweet spot.

You and I, of course, as progressives, I don't relish us relying on any foreign powers and I don't want us to rely on foreign powers.

But this cooperation on EDCA is giving us some space, some room for maneuver with China or even perhaps more than that.

Well, Richard, may distinct location kasi tayo sa lahat ng nangyayari ito.

First, dahil sa history, tayo talaga yung pinakamatagal ang relasyon sa America.

Even if we started on an invasion where a huge number of Filipinos were killed,

historically, tayo yung pinakamatagal na naging colony at naging kaibigan ng US, even if it's not necessarily to our advantage.

Ang kalawa, putitignan mo lahat ng surveys. Rightly or wrongly, ay very friendly ang mga Pilipinos sa US, even during the time of Duterte.

Even during the height of our anti-US struggle during the dictatorship, most Filipinos are still close to America or very friendly,

especially since there are more than 5 million Filipinos living in the US.

Ikatlo, nangyayari itong 9-line, nangyayari itong 10-line, nangyayari itong artificial islands, nangyayari itong aggression sa ating EEZ kaya nagsampa tayo ng kaso.

We're the only country na nagsampa ng kaso sa UNCLOS and won.

Kaya itong mga variables na ito, I think puts us in a very, not only strategic location, but in a very sweet location vis-a-vis the Americans.

Ngayon, yung pinag-uusapan nating EDCA is related to three different issues.

One, yung ating claim sa West Philippine Sea, ating EEZ na awag ni Secretary Guibo Echadoro is a creeping invasion.

Ikalawa, the freedom of navigation issue.

Which goes back to Ramos actually, just to be fair, President Ramos would raise that term.

Ikalawa yung freedom of navigation issue na not necessarily within our EEZ.

Nasama sa gitna ng South China Sea.

At ikatlo yung Taiwan.

Yung first five EDCA clearly is in relation with our claims in the West Philippine Sea.

Yung sumunod ng mga EDCA sites and possibly more is more mixed.

It's in relation to the three issues of our claims in the West Philippine Sea.

The freedom of navigation in one of the most significant waterways in the world.

At ikatlo yung Taiwan.

Kaya mixed yung aking feelings dun sa basis o yung EDCA basis sa Isabela at sa Cagayan.

It's landlocked provinces.

Clearly, it's more in relation to the Basa Strait.

More in relation to the possibility of a war in Taiwan.

Doon lang may ambivalence, doon lang may reservations.

Yan yung may nangyayari.

Actually, bati ako rin medyo ambivalent ako because I'm not going to vouch.

Ganito kasi, Ronald, my sense is this is not presentism in the sense of thinking,

oh because panahon natin yan, this is a special panahon.

But I think it is.

I think, Ronald, after more than 100 years of being either America's colony or semi-colony or protectorate,

eto na yung chance natin to be a kind of a self-respecting semi-power of our own.

An ally that can say no and yes, depending on what serves us.

My sense is Marcos can make the most out of this.

Whether he can make the most out of this is another question.

But I think we are in a sweet spot.

Yun yung sense ko talaga ngayon.

Now you say you're from the Philippines, we're talked about.

I mean, that's the reason why I'm going around and talking, right?

Because for six years, I was just going around explaining what Tata was saying.

That was my job.

Now that antics is gone, I'm really talking about serious stuff.

Like what are the operational implications, what can we do in EDCA, strategic stability.

So as a Filipino, I feel we're taken more seriously than ever.

And as a Filipino, I think there's a lot of room for autonomous action and maneuver here.

And I think if we play the EDCA card well, meaning, as I call it, Goldilocks.

Meaning not too much American presence to undermine our sovereignty and provoke China.

But also not too small to make it irrelevant, right?

If EDCA is just a bunch of skeletal bases here and there, then wala rin sila yan.

So we have to find that right balance.

And also right balance of between how can we protect our interests more urgently as a West Philippine Sea,

while at the same time being prepared for contingencies in Taiwan.

That's very difficult.

So my question to you, Ronald, is do you think there are enough smart people out there right now

for the president to make the right call?

Or in theory, do you think we have enough strategic thinkers?

Aside, of course, of yours truly.

Richard, kaya maganda itong, kasi simula lang, kahit medyo tahimik lang,

maganda itong effort na ginagawa nila Sen. Rizonteveros, Father Edicio de la Torre,

Ka-Upper, the Vice Chairman of the Anti-Poverty Commission, itong si Bani Pacquiao, et cetera.

Itong kanilang convoy, itong Christmas convoy, itong kanilang,

yung ginagawa ni Noel Cabangon to organize a concert on the West Philippine Sea,

itong mga billboards na nagsulputan, itong plano ng Student Council Alliance of the Philippines

to do a caravan on major schools to explain our victory in UNCLOS,

to explain our entitlement to the West Philippine Sea.

At other activities, gagawa sila ng animation, three minutes animation,

West Philippine Sea, UNCLOS for Beginners, na hindi pa nagawa before.

So maraming moving parts, yung tahimik na nangyayari ngayon.

Meron, kung alam mo last week, nagkaroon ng rally nationwide,

ang RAM, Reformed Armed Forces Movement, sa Chinese Embassy.

These are ex-soldiers, nagrally sila.

Yung Magdalo, gusto sumama ngayon dito sa koalisyon ng atin ito, nila visa.

Yung Wansan Bayanan, nagkukundin sila ngayon.

They're trying to link up with this emerging coalition.

Tapos may mga group ng mga yacht owners, yacht owners, katamaran owners,

na gusto sumama sa convoy ng fishermen.

It's beginning to look like a Dunkirk project, going to Ayugin.

So yung mga yan, hopefully will create not only a critical mass of Filipinos

na nauunawaan itong issue na ito, unlike in the past.

Kung hindi pwede magkaroon ng isang sustained effort na hindi lang tayo dependent sa EDCA,

hindi lang tayo dependent sa military exercises.

Magkaroon talaga ng organizing, magkaroon talaga ng education movement,

magkaroon talaga ng series of actions, mostly cultural,

to unite the Filipino on the issue of the West Philippine Sea, on UNCLOS, on Chinese aggression.

Para hindi naman tayo puro na lang military exercises, puro na lang EDCA bases,

puro na lang exchanges with the West.

Magkaroon din tayo ng sariling strength.

Tingin ko yun yung agenda ng initiator ng atin itong movement.

Nasa ngayon nagsisimulang maging popular yung sign.

Yung sign is just three fingers, W.

So tingin ko this will be a household sign.

So tingin ko this will be a household sign.

Tingin ko this is just the start of something beautiful, something not only nationalistic,

but something which is sustainable and very progressive.

Kaya hindi lang tayo mag-realize ang narrative ng EDCA,

hindi lang tayo mag-realize ang narrative ng military exercises,

hindi lang tayo mag-realize ang narrative ng emerging Taiwan conflict.

Magkakaroon tayo ng sariling agenda.

Speaking of this, Ronald, essentially we're talking about a whole-of-nation approach, right?

This cannot be just left to the DFA, this cannot just be left to the Philippine court,

this cannot be just left to Bombo Marcos or the whole Tambalaslos drama.

This has to be a whole-of-nation approach.

So in that sense, we're mainstreaming something that should be dear to all of us.

And just to be clear about it, yung mga bakery forum analysis na 7% lang nagsabi na urgent yung West Philippine Sea,

that doesn't mean that 7% only care about West Philippine Sea.

That's quite a dumb spin, right?

Because that just means it's not their concern today and tomorrow morning.

That doesn't relate to here, right?

So doon mo makikita talaga na medyo barangay, pre-barangay level pa yung analyst.

That's also partly true.

Dahil hindi ganun karami yung nakakaunawa sa ating close victory.

Hindi ganun karami.

Kaya nakikita natin yung contradiction na napakarami yung Pinoy,

ang critical sa China against Chinese aggression,

pero popular pa rin si Digong na clearly pro-China.

So mayroon pa rin dysfunction.

Ang kulang dyan is the politicalization, the education, the explanation.

Kaya maganda na gagawa sila na animation, cartoons about the West Philippine Sea na 2-3 minutes.

Dahil beyond that, wala na manonood.

And then symbols.

Isa-slice din nila katulad nung ginagawa natin.

Now, to close on this note, I mean, I have of course another show program where I interview people.

Hindi ko pa na-interview yung Chinese and American ambassador.

Yung Chinese parang huwag na lang, I'll pass on that.

Yung American ambassador, quite soon.

Pero na-interview ko yung mga ibang ambassadors.

India, France, Britain, Ireland.

Ang dami ko na-interview.

And to be honest, ang feeling ko,

ang dami natin pwede nga sa partners na hindi dating colonial master natin,

na hindi superpower na gusto lang nila their way or highway.

Yung mga middle power na medyo ka-level natin,

kaya natin kausapin at the same level wavelength.

At pwede maging very beneficial sa akin.

I mean, sa atin.

In a sense that we can get, I mean, the French are offering submarines.

The British are offering all sorts of intelligence and training.

The Koreans and Japanese are offering us maritime security, coast guard capability.

The Indians are giving us Brahmos supersonic missile.

And then the Indonesians and Malaysians want to have more naval exercises with us.

The Singaporeans are also offering us more surveillance.

So, actually, ang dami natin options.

It's a huge menu.

So, it's not like just two elephants and we're a grass.

There's like two elephants, there's three zebras, there's a lion, there's a tiger.

It's a zoo. It's an interesting zoo with many options.

So, I think this idea of pro-China, amboy, China boy, it's dumb because it's a saying, right?

It's an a la carte diplomacy.

We can do a la carte diplomacy and go whichever way we want, right?

So, I just feel there's so much more we can do and this is really my approach.

Kaya yung mga bobo na nagtatawag na amboy-amboy like,

you don't know what you're talking about, right?

I'll slap you all around.

Kasi kahapon nasa Singapore ako, binash-bash ko yung mga nandun sa China.

Like, kawawa sila sa akin.

But I made sure I don't violate laws in Singapore.

And na-shock sila. As in, they were shocked.

Kasi pag ako binash kita sa Twitter, all my followers will bash you after me.

So, there's like luck in their account.

Sabi ko, baka gusto mo i-tag ko yung mga kaibigan mo dito sa Manila na bakery forum para tulungan ka.

The script is exactly the same.

But anyway, let's close this episode because I think it sets the tone for our next episode,

which is, I think the Philippines has to also play a greater role as one of the leaders in the developing world,

in the global south, in the ASEAN.

And President Marcos Jr., surprise, surprise, is going to be on travel soon again, very soon.

But I think this one makes sense.

He's going to Saudi Arabia, which is not too far from where the major conflict of the moment is happening.

And it's going to be an ASEAN-Gulf-Arab countries interaction.

I think it's a perfect time for Southeast Asia and West Asia to come and talk together.

So, we'll have a separate episode on that.

That one is going to be much more serious and intense.

So, don't expect na R&R mode all the time.

But thank you very much again, Secretary Llamas, for this fascinating discussion.

Thank you.

Salamat. Okay.