By Al S. Mendoza

 

KATIPS is going to be a film for the ages.

That’s a prediction as fearless as me saying China won’t stop punishing Taiwan over Nancy Pelosi’s defiant stand to visit Taipei just days back.

If there’s one country as onion-skinned as Imee Marcos, that’d only be China.

Pelosi, the U.S. House speaker, ignored pleas by many of her colleagues for her to skip Taiwan in her multi-city swing of Asia.

China has always considered Taiwan as its province.

As history tells us, it was in Taiwan where Chiang Kai Sheik’s Kuomintang Party retreated after Chairman Mao had driven them out of China.

Since Chiang was an American puppet, the U.S gave him protection both economically and militarily.  It’s been that way since 1949.

But that did not deter Beijing’s Communist Party leadership from insisting that Taiwan is but a province of China.

So that any visit by a foreign power to Taiwan, such as the U.S., without Beijing’s approval, is considered a slap on Beijing’s territorial authority over Taipei.

That’s what Pelosi did.  Pasaway.

It is a bit ironic for Pelosi to do what she did because the U.S. has always stood by the One-China policy the whole world has known for the longest time.

Why Pelosi did that only Pelosi has the answer.

As everybody knows, the One-China policy means there’s but only one China—and that is China.

Taiwan is only a part of China.  Even the United Nations recognizes that.

That’s why Beijing is not one to be easily tricked by America’s histrionics.

That’s why Pelosi’s perorations didn’t dent China’s resolve to fight back when dared.

Thus, as quickly as Pelosi left Taipei, China immediately acted—rather aggressively, if not confrontationally, as expected.

Beijing banned Taiwan’s fruit and meat exports to China in a show of might, threatening to impose more sanctions in the coming days.

Likewise, immediately after Pelosi flew out of Taipei, China employed a live fireworks display on six maritime areas surrounding Taiwan.

Mercifully, no missile was aimed directly at Taiwan’s seat of government.

It would have triggered World War III.

But still, it was an act of belligerence and short of an armed hostility by Beijing aimed at Taipei.

Thankfully for Taiwan’s leaders, they played it cool, dismissing China’s fireworks exhibition as mere theatrics.

If you ask me, China was just showing a semblance of its readiness to take Taiwan by force.  In short, pakitang gilas lang.

Show of bluster.

Bullying crap—a trait that China is known for the world over.

Meanwhile, the world is watching.

Now back to Katips, the talk of the town in the local movie industry.

With its forceful theme of Martial Law atrocities, Katips has broken barriers in its expose of the dictatorship’s excesses.

This film is a game-changer, making every Filipino young and old finally aware of the truth about why People Power was born.

Here’s a salute to Vincent Tanada, who directed and starred in the breakthrough musical spectacle.

For his gargantuan efforts—he spent his own savings to finish the film—Vincent won as best actor and best director from the prestigious Famas, capping his feats with a Best Picture award.

Don’t miss Katips.

It will punch you in the face dead-center.

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