IN a press statement last November 18, 2021, rightfully loaded with patriotic anger, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, denounced the Chinese Coast Guard for using water cannons against two PH-commissioned “supply ships” two days previously.

The ships were bringing provisions to a Marines contingent marooned off Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) in an old, rusting Philippine Navy ship, the Sierra Madre, that was deliberately grounded there in 1999 to signify our “ownership” of that pieces of rock and sandbars, considering it as part of our ‘Kalayaan Island Group’ (KIG).

The incident again created such a hailstorm of patriotic indignation among Filipinos to include those seeking the presidency in next year’s elections like Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, with the later even threatening to “sink” any Chinese ship within the areas in the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea being claimed by the Philippines and turn into an “underwater decoration.”

But what if this is just another psychological warfare being played against us by the US?

What we were never told is that as US Imperialism continues to make its war preparations against China, Filipino officials have been frequenting the US mainland to get their instructions and orders from their American overlords in reckless disregard of Pres. Duterte’s independent foreign policy.

Last September, no less than defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Locsin were American visitors, conferring with their “counterparts” to discuss, among others, how to further “strengthen” US-PH defense and political alliance.

This means they discussed how best—and how fast— the Philippines can be on board as US ramps up its war preparation against China. After all, we are part of what US describes as their ‘first island chain’ of aggression against China after Taiwan and Japan.

What was also overlooked by most Filipinos was that last November 16, the day the latest Ayungin Incident happened, was also the day both the Philippines and US wrapped up their two-day ‘Strategic Dialogue’ where our officials accepted the further expansion of US military presence in our own soils using the provisions of the EDCA (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement) that was signed under the puppet presidency of Noynoy Aquino in 2014.

The only “problem” is, how to “sell” this latest assault on our sovereignty and national pride?

And so, they have to create another “scenario” such as the November 16 incident in Ayungin Shoal.

Have we forgotten that a month before the EDCA was signed in April 2014, there was a similar incident at Ayungin Shoal also involving the supply of our military detachment there and the CCG?

In the maelstrom that followed, Noynoy and his fellow-US minions never had trouble ramming the EDCA down our throats.

Yes, Jose, there is more than meets the eye in the latest Ayungin Shoal Incident.