[Global Times-Global Network Report Reporter Fan Wei, Hu Yuwei] The Philippine government has betrayed its trust and refused to admit that it has reached an agreement with China on the "new model" of naval vessels on the Ren'ai Reef for replenishment." The matter continues to ferment. Philippine media reports show that Alberto Carlos, commander of the Western Military District Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, who participated in the consultation on the order of the Philippine government, has become a target in the Philippines and has been removed from the post of commander of the Western Military District Command. Many senior officials in the Philippine military command chain who originally authorized him to make promises to China at the negotiating table have recently denied that they had held talks with China on the "new model" of transportation and supplies, and placed Carlos on "tactical" leave with the intention of allowing him to Silently memorize this "pot". However, the Philippine government's "killing the donkey" approach has aroused strong dissatisfaction among domestic politicians and military personnel in the Philippines. An insider in the Philippines recently came forward and broke the news that Carlos, who has one year left to retire, has been forced to retire early. , becoming the "scapegoat" of the Philippine military.
After all, it was Carlos who "carried it all"
Multiple Philippine media reported on May 18 that the Armed Forces of the Philippines issued a statement that day, saying that Philippine Navy Rear Admiral Alfonso Torres Jr. would succeed Carlos as the new head of the Western Philippine Military District Command. Commander, Carlos is currently on leave due to "personal reasons." Xerxes Trinidad, head of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Public Affairs Office, said Torres’ appointment was an administrative decision of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and “has nothing to do with the controversial incident.” The leadership and key positions of the Philippine military are undergoing changes, which is only part of it. "This is necessary for the Philippine Armed Forces to adapt to the changing security environment and effectively respond to emerging challenges."
represented the Philippine government in Carlos After the details of Chinese personnel's consultations on the "new model" of "sit-on-beach" ship replenishment on Ren'ai Reef by the Philippines were made public by foreign media, Carlos' situation fell into an embarrassment. Previously, Philippine Defense Secretary Teodoro and Philippine National Security Advisor Año both flatly denied arranging for Carlos to reach an agreement with China. Año even openly declared that the "new model" of supplying goods to Ren'ai Reef was "just a fabrication out of thin air." "The Philippines and China "have not reached any agreement" on the Second Thomas Shoal issue. Teodoro said that only the President of the Philippines can approve an agreement with China in the "West Philippine Sea" (i.e., the South China Sea), alluding to Carlos and China. The agreement was reached without Marcos's authorization and was an attempt to shift the blame to Carlos. After that, Carlos's position was in jeopardy. Domestic critics in the Philippines uncovered his experience of studying in China and questioned his "special relationship" with China. The Philippine National Security Council even stated that it would be up to the Philippine military to decide whether to take action on this matter. Investigate Carlos.
In addition to trying to deny that it has reached an agreement with China on the "new model" of supply and transportation, will the Philippine military's cover-up personnel changes intensify tensions in the South China Sea? Ding Duo, deputy director of the Institute of Marine Law and Policy of the China South China Sea Research Institute, said in an interview with a reporter from the Global Times on the 19th that if the Philippines does not fundamentally realize the error and danger of its current South China Sea policy, This personnel change may further aggravate tensions in the South China Sea. The Philippine military may have more political concerns about negotiating with China to reduce the risk of maritime friction. It may also be more willing to demonstrate a tough foreign stance to the Philippine people and high-level government officials. The United States may use this personnel change to The changes will exert more influence on the Philippine military, especially the Western Military District.
The Philippine government's "passing the buck" behavior has led to more inside stories being exposed.
The Philippine military's "killing the donkey" approach has aroused dissatisfaction among many people in the political and military circles in the Philippines. They have come forward to "support" Carlos and further More details of the incident have been revealed.
"Carlos has been without news since he was placed on leave on May 5. Previously, he was appointed to hold talks with Chinese officials on easing tensions in the South China Sea. However, until now, no one from the Philippine government has come forward to respond to this incident. The talks give authoritative explanations."Francisco Tatad, a well-known media person in the Philippines and former senator, recently wrote in the Manila Times that according to the information he has, during this meeting, Chinese personnel insisted that Carlos must first communicate the content to be discussed with His bosses - Philippine Defense Secretary Teodoro, Philippine National Security Advisor Año and Philippine Armed Forces Chief of Staff Brauner "reached an agreement" before China was willing to sit down and have talks with Carlos. "Especially Afghanistan. Neo, who spoke with Presidents Teodoro and Marcos Jr. about the Chinese proposal and allowed Carlos to continue talks with Chinese personnel, a source revealed. After Carlos was allowed to talk to Chinese personnel, Chinese personnel It was also suggested that Carlos held talks with higher-level Chinese officials. "Tatad said.
This statement is also basically consistent with the situation previously introduced to the Global Times reporter by an insider. The insider said that Chinese officials had a dialogue with Carlos on January 3 this year. During the dialogue Carlos agreed to use a "new model" to deal with the illegal "beaching" operations of Philippine ships on Ren'ai Reef, and confirmed to Chinese diplomats that Chief of Staff of the Philippine Armed Forces Brauner and Philippine Defense Secretary Teo. Doro and Philippine National Security Advisor Año both expressed their approval of the "new model" proposal.
Tatad also stated in the article that Carlos also said that it was China who first proposed the proposal to ease the situation in the South China Sea. Insisting that Carlos must obtain permission from high-level officials of the Philippine government, Año talked with Philippine President Marcos Jr., who also expressed his desire to "cool down" the situation.
Tatad believed that from beginning to end, Carlos was strictly following the orders of his superiors and "did not give up anything of value to China." He further revealed that in a conversation between senior officials of the Philippine military and senior officials of the U.S. Foreign Service, it seemed that senior officials of the Philippine military He was asked by the US, “Why do you want to start a dialogue with China? "In response, the top brass of the Philippine military immediately lied and claimed that they had no knowledge of the matter, and quickly pointed the finger at Carlos, sending a very strong message to Carlos: Although he still has more than a year to serve, he will Being "suggested" that he should retire early. Tatad asked why Carlos must be sacrificed now because he obeyed the orders of his superiors to the letter.
"Is it because this officer dared to dream of peace? To replace the atmosphere of war imposed on the Philippines and the South China Sea region? Or is it because the real question for our leaders is how to accelerate the fight against China, not mitigate? Clearly, our external allies believe they have nothing to gain by trying to end the ‘water cannon incident’ on the shallows of the South China Sea, where the same playbook used in Gaza and Ukraine is being used in the South China Sea. Easing tensions in the South China Sea is clearly not an option for the hawks and must be rejected. "Tatad said.
For such an important and sensitive meeting, the Philippine high-level officials denied it with such absurd reasons as "unknowing" and "non-existence", and pushed Carlos out to "take the blame". This is tantamount to a This is a kind of "self-defeating". Ding Duo believes that China and the Philippines have previously communicated through diplomatic channels on the "new model" of replenishment, involving the ideas to deal with this issue, the conditions that need to be followed, and the feasible implementation methods, and the topics are sensitive and serious. No matter who talks with the Chinese side, no matter how the talks are conducted, and no matter what consensus is reached with the Chinese side, it is an official act rather than a private act. In this case, the representative's qualifications must be. The decision-making was authorized, and the content of the communication was reported step by step. The chain of command of the Philippine Army must be clear about these situations. It is basically impossible that the Philippine President, as the supreme commander of the Philippine Army, is unaware of this. "From the facts. It seems that if the Philippine government and military were unaware of the new model, then why did the 'new model' work effectively for once? Why would the Philippines betray its trust and abandon the ‘new model’ after it was put into operation once? ”
Anna Marindog-Uy, deputy director of the Philippines’ “Asian Century” Institute for Strategic Studies, also publicly pointed out the contradiction between the Philippines’ words and deeds.In an interview with a reporter from the Global Times on the 19th, she said that amid the controversy surrounding the meeting records released by the media, the response of relevant Philippine government officials seemed to be out of touch. Their first reaction was to quickly deny the meeting. Authenticity, which seems to betray a certain level of anxiety. And their inconsistent statements are particularly confusing. For example, accusing "China of eavesdropping" means admitting the existence of the recording and the authenticity of the transcript. On the contrary, other Philippine government officials, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines, insist that the transcript is "totally false" and that these contradictory statements only further complicate the issue.
Another Filipino person who came forward to expose the decision-making process of the Philippine military’s chain of command is General Orlando de Leon, a retired Philippine military general and former deputy commander of the Philippine Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command. He recently posted on the social platform “Facebook” shared his views on the incident with members of the Philippine military. De Leon believes that it is best for both Teodoro and Año to resign because the two are instigating a culture of distrust between superiors and subordinates in the Philippine military. He believes that "the superiors knew and recognized that Carlos and the Chinese Talks” would not be a lie concocted by Carlos.
"Carlos is not a fool. He knows that talking directly to the Chinese side without full understanding and instructions from his superiors is far beyond the scope of his authority. Carlos even knows that such secret talks will be recorded. I bet He also recorded himself to prevent his superiors from framing him. He confirmed many times in the recordings that his superiors knew about his talks with the Chinese side and that he was only negotiating on behalf of his superiors." De Leon believes that now. The question is whether the top brass of the Philippine military are willing to intensify tensions with China in order to cover up lies.
Carlos' "taking the blame" exposed the internal crisis of the Philippine government
In this incident, the Philippine government finally pushed Carlos to "take the blame", which also exposed various internal crises within the current Philippine government. Some Filipino scholars believe that the incident cannot end here, but should continue to be investigated. The Filipino people must be aware of the problems involved.
"It is crucial to delve deeper into Carlos' role in this incident. The records that have been released show that Carlos was more of a go-between than a decisive authority. He appears to have become the person in the record The mentioned scapegoats of Philippine government officials have a duty to shed light on the matter by giving an honest, direct and accurate explanation to the people.” Ana Marindog-Uy believes that the entire incident seriously undermines Carlos’s actions. the reputation and integrity of military officers, and highlights broader accountability and transparency issues within the current Philippine government. It seems unjust and unfair that Carlos was used as a "sacrificial lamb" during this controversial incident to protect others from scrutiny. The Filipino people must recognize the ill effects of these actions and strive for greater transparency, greater accountability, and better fairness in dealing with these controversial issues.
"In addition, do not forget that trust, credibility, and abide by large and small agreements are the cornerstones and basic principles of international relations. They play a key role in maintaining stability, promoting cooperation, and resolving disputes. If trust is cultivated and maintained, it will become the basis for establishing The cornerstone of a stronger and more resilient international partnership,” said Anna Marindog-Uy.
Tyndall believes that Carlos was eventually pushed out to "take the blame", which reflects the Philippines' continuous provocation on the South China Sea issue and China's tendency to become so-called "politically correct" in its own country. Even if it is official behavior, the person involved may be accused by the Philippines The government is abandoned as a victim. This incident also exposed that the Philippine government regards diplomatic communication, consultation, and management of maritime differences as child's play, and the consensus reached can be overturned and denied at will. This incident has also become a "demon mirror" for the top brass of the Philippine military, revealing that they consider and handle this issue based on their own selfish and personal political interests, and do not have enough regard for the image of the Philippine military, the image of the country, and the healthy development of China-Philippines relations. Political vision and political responsibility.
Ban Leyi, president of the Philippine Society for International Security Studies and former deputy national security adviser of the Philippines, expressed disappointment with the current bureaucratic political ecology of the Philippine government. On the 19th, he said in an interview with a reporter from the Global Times that he believed that the Philippines Government bureaucracy, departmental interests and personal conflicts have "played a role" in the current South China Sea crisis and seriously damaged Philippines-China relations. Philippine government officials need to come forward to clarify some things to avoid further worsening the already worsening situation, "We Those 'gentlemen's agreements' must be viewed positively as a way to manage differences and avoid military conflicts between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea disputes. We should focus on peaceful resolution of disputes rather than escalating tensions. on."
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