THE Philippines and Filipinos are usually characterized as being warm and friendly, particularly to foreigners who visit our shores. It is good to have that reputation not just for the potential financial benefits, but that it shows what kind of people we are.
However, this tendency to present a big smile on our faces and a song in our hearts may cloud our judgment of the real world. Like it or not, it is a jungle out there, where the innocent can become lunch for those that are not so innocent.
Whatever else the comments of presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte in regard to Philippines-Australian relations may mean, the reality is that all nations act in their own self-interest.
There is no reason to defend Duterte. That is not the point. But in response to his comments, some recalled the “generosity” of the Australian government last year, when it donated two landing-craft heavy vessels and a package of spare parts to the Philippine Navy. Certainly, we should thank the Australians for giving us two of their own decommissioned ships that they no longer want.
It would be rude not to thank them, as with any charitable donation given to someone less fortunate. Perhaps, though, there might be a small hidden agenda.
The Aquino administration shut down foreign mining investments in the Philippines back in 2010. Now, we would not be implying that the ship donation less than a year before a new administration should be suspect. But it is interesting that the Australian senior trade commissioner recently made it very clear what that country wants from the next president. Anthony Weymouth recently said, “It is disappointing that it [mining] has not been given emphasis,” describing how the administration of President Aquino has handled the industry.
Weymouth: “It depends on the next administration. There must be an emphasis on mining.” Australian-Canadian mining company OceanaGold’s Country Director Bradley Norman echoed the sentiments of Weymouth that the next administration should give priority to the mining industry. The above quotes are taken from an interview conducted by the BusinessMirror.
The United States is an important ally of the Philippines, but again let’s be realistic. In 2012 then-US Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta made trips to both Thailand and Vietnam, seeking to open doors for the return of US military aircraft and ships to be based in both countries. Thailand did not want its important relations with China clouded by a US presence. Vietnam did not want to have to check with the US as it makes its foreign-relation decisions.
The first American President, George Washington, said as he was leaving office, “There can be no greater error than to expect or calculate upon real favors from nation to nation.” In other words, in the normal course of international relations, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Every nation expects to get something back in return.
Image credits: Jimbo Albano