Outraging” is a word seldom used, but it somehow perfectly sums up the current mood of many citizens, as our government flounders from one explanation to another in trying to accommodate contradictory positions regarding China’s actions in the West Philippine Sea. Not only does this administration’s pronouncements betray a subservient posture in the face of flagrant violations committed by that country in our territorial waters; the President’s incendiary remarks even border on betrayal and defies the provisions of the 1987 Constitution. What the steel-hulled trawler named Yuemaobinyu recently sunk is not only a lowly fishing boat anchored at Recto Bank; it also rammed and hurt the deeply felt sentiments of Filipino citizens who have taken offense at the inability of our so-called leaders to uphold Filipino dignity and protect the national patrimony for future generations. No longer is this a tiff between the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China. It has become an affront to the soul of the Filipino.

Garcia, E. (2019, July 20). 'Outraging'. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A9.