By Farah G. Decano

 

MY ever-reliable college secretary told me that a certain senior male educator was in disbelief when I was awarded by the Lyceum Northwestern University a Special Achievement Award during the university’s Christmas party.  She understood his negative reaction to mean that I did not deserve the award because I have not been with the university for a long time.

Oh well, he probably did not know that I was able to increase the enrollment by 375% in one year, signed-up highly qualified professors who have master of laws degrees from Harvard, Minnesota, and American universities.  He likely did not know that in just one year, I was able to reverse the downward trend of the College of Law’s average bar performance rating, as well as pass 31% percent of the bar takers under my young deanship.

In addition to my being young, he uttered, “Babae ba yan?” He actually verbally attacked my sexuality.  I told my secretary that the next time around, that she should challenge him to say the words to my face, assuming that he is man enough.

“What will you tell him?” asked my secretary.

“Nothing.  I will just raise my little pinky at him.”  I think my middle finger might be too long for a t-bird, I mean, tweety bird like him.

I remember a colleague at the city council who felt that his manhood was threatened by a not so feminine female. He boasted that he was a “jumbo.”

I could not help but raise my little pinky to the amusement of the more confident, more handsome, and real macho males around me.  How they adored me and found the other ordinarily very hostile.

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Finally, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) made a stand on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) dispute.  This is rather a happy development for our country because the regional organization indorsed the respect for international laws including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS).  

It must be remembered that during President Noynoy Aquino’s term, the maritime row between China and the Philippines started to escalate.  The ASEAN, however, skirted the issue.  It also did not consider the matter a pressing concern during Rodrigo Duterte’s leadership because the former president openly kowtowed to China. He also seemingly surrendered our sovereign rights over that body of water by stating that we cannot afford to wage war against the Asian giant.

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Two former Supreme Court Justices have different opinions in dealing with the ever-brewing WPS dispute. Retired Chief Justice Reynato Puno suggested that we should stop sending our vessels to the area because it could only provoke China, escalate the matter, and lead us to unwanted and unknown territory; whereas retired Associate Justice Antonio Carpio remarked that such suggestion is a renunciation of our rights under the UNCLOS and the July 2016 Arbitral ruling.  The latter magistrate went as far as calling the proposed action an act of cowardice.

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I take the side of Justice Carpio.  We must continue to peacefully assert our sovereign rights over those waters.  For as long as only harmless Philippine vessels, such as those on a re-supply mission, continue to navigate the area then we should continue to make a non-violent stand on the matter.    

Further, we must explore other arenas in order to arrest any possible violence in the WPS.  Justice Carpio has proposed the filing of another international case against China.  And I agree to this.

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China is getting more aggressive in its treatment of our harmless vessels.  As a result, it is losing its face in the international community according to news sources.

President Xi Jin Ping must remember that when China loses face, his country shall suffer the loss not only in this generation but also in future generations yet to come.  He may not want his country to hibernate in shame once again. #

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