Our “what if” experts are busy speculating, roused by the pro-China stance taken by President Duterte and the defense department’s signal to Filipinos not to be afraid to fish in Philippine waters infested with foreign interlopers. We gathered meanwhile the considered opinion of colleagues who had covered the defense beat so long that some star officers, by force of habit, still call them “sir.” We share in the lower half of this column their thoughts on the armed forces’ duty as “protector of the people and the state.” The discussion rages even as some points stand out for being missing: NO firm assurance that the military will accompany fishermen, NO indication if statements made have prior clearance from the President, and NO authority for the presidential spokesman to also speak for China.

Pascual, F. D. Jr. (2019, April 4). AFP must protect Pinoy fishers, but... The Philippine Star, p. 10.