Peaceful means urged to resolve Spratly dispute with China

Christian leaders called on Filipinos to trust in God and pray for peace amid ongoing talks between the Philippines and China concerning the highly disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

Some 200 community members of different religions and ages joined the Prayer Forum for Peace in the Spratlys held Sunday at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe.

Noting that “peace hangs on a balance continually,” Pastor Manuelito Rey of Cornerstone Christian Church encouraged the public to pray for peace because the act is a “a noble exercise of our faith in God” and a sign of “true humility.”

“We can appeal to the international tribunal but peace settled politically is unstable as human beings,” said Rey, adding that many of the peace treaties and agreements signed previously have been short-lived.

Rey said that the nation needs “the transforming power of God to reign” in the hearts of all involved, thus the need to pray for “everyone having claims on the islands”

“To pray to him is recognizing that to settle the current tension in the Spratly Islands is beyond our power,” he added.

Pastor Raymond Kinsella, for his part, said that the only spirit adequate for the Philippines to go against a “Goliath” like China is the spirit of Jesus Christ.

“Let’s be real. The Philippines has no military, no money to stop China,” said Kinsella. “There is one thing that the Philippines has; that is their faith.”

But Kinsella noted that it was “not just traditional faith” but the distinctive spirit that former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela had.

“There’s only God. That is what is needed,” he said.

The U.S. Pinoys for Good Governance, which organized the event, presented video footage about the Spratly Islands, a group of more than 750 reefs, islets, atolls, and islands beneath which lies vast reserves of oil and gas deposits that are largely unexplored.

“These tremendous amount of petrowealth can dramatically change the economic future of the Philippines—eradicating mass poverty and enabling Filipinos to have better nutrition, shelter, health care and education,” USP4GG spokesperson Ted Laguatan told Saipan Tribune.

Laguatan said some 165 prayer meetings were held in different parts of the U.S. and throughout the globe in protest against China’s “bullying oil-grabbing ways.”

Laguatan outlined a four-pronged proposed strategy in handling the issue. This includes collaborating with other nations like Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Japan; getting the support of the global community of nations; having another superpower on our side like the U.S. that can intervene and neutralize China’s power; and getting the global community to pressure China to bring the sovereignty issue to the United Nations.

The prayer forum also featured remarks from NMI Delegate Gregorio Kilili Sablan, Senate President Paul Manglona, and Joeten-Kiyu Public Library executive director John Oliver Gonzales, as well as various cultural presentations and performances from different groups.

Ninoy remembered

Sunday’s event also commemorated the death anniversary of Ninoy Aquino, as scores of yellow balloons and a giant poster of the late senator adorned the venue.

Ninoy, who formed the leadership of the opposition of former president Ferdinand Marcos, was assassinated at the Manila International Airport in 1983 upon returning home from exile in the U.S.

Danny Buniag, special assistant for special projects, read Bishop Nilo Tayag’s tribute to Ninoy Aquino titled “Life and Legacy of Ninoy.”

Tayag described Ninoy as a unique leader and the most audacious politician of his time.

“He’s the best president we never had. Whether from the left, right or center, Ninoy brought and transcended all ideological boundaries towards common vision,” read Buniag.

Celia Lamkin, USP4GG CNMI Chapter president, said Ninoy’s life and legacy has been instilled in the minds of the Filipinos and other nationalities.

“Ninoy’s heroism, patriotism, nationalism to have democracy, freedom and sovereignty of Filipino people will have an everlasting legacy that will be passed from generation to another generation,” she said.