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Who Takes the Blame for the Emboldened ISIS and Uncontrolled Chinese Expansion towards the West Phil. Sea?

Posted on Monday, 16 November 2015

Who Takes the Blame for the Emboldened ISIS
and Uncontrolled Chinese Expansion towards the West Phil. Sea?
By Apolinario Villalobos

When ISIS broke away from Al Q’aida, no nation ever got worried, thinking perhaps, that it is just another struggling terrorist group trying to get noticed by the world, every time it claimed responsibility for certain bombings. Not even the African nations that are located, a stone’s throw away from the lair of this fledgling terror group. Not even when the fledgling group started to conduct kidnapping of foreign correspondents. But when beheadings that they made were posted on facebook and began to invade surrounding villages, the directly-affected nations began to take notice. When cities after cities, and provinces after provinces were overran and European recruits began to trek to the ISIS camps, more nations became apprehensive. When historic and biblical shrines were flattened to the ground the group, and finally, indiscriminate bombings in Paris were made, the whole world took notice….but, too late.

ISIS terrorists practically walked their way into unsuspecting European nations with the so-called evacuees who escaped unrests in their countries. No high-tech device can ever set a low-profile terrorist or a freshly-trained terrorist with no international record yet, apart from an ordinary displaced businessman say, from Turkey, Syria, or wherever within the beleaguered region. All of them practically look alike with their piercing eyes, beards, high aquiline nose, etc.

Pinching attacks were made by an affected nation or two, and there was even a time when the cry for help of Syria was not heeded. But since the attacks were nothing but just pinches, it was not felt by ISIS that has successfully controlled vital cities of Syria. When the uncontrolled mass emigration of Syrians, both civilian and covert terrorists began to cross borders, the whole world got worried, because even the far Southeast Asian nations were asked by the United Nations to accommodate them.

The United Nations made noise when it realized that ISIS is serious in its threats in eroding the global peace. The condemnation of some Islamic nations that do not recognize ISIS as a legitimate jihadist group cannot repair the damage that has been it. Where’s the United Nations organization while all these transpired?

On the West Philippine Sea meanwhile, when only a single atoll was “developed” by China by constructing a military stronghold on its scant topsoil, the Philippines did not mind as it has her own Kalayaan island with huts and a motley number of settlers, as well as, a dirt-topped runway. The presence of Chinese patrol boats did not alarm the Filipino fishermen as the latter were reportedly, swapping foods with the crew. That was about ten or more years ago.

When the Chinese navy crew-Filipino fishermen relationship began to get sour, reports were considered petty so they were not given much attention. Even until the time that the Chinese Navy started acting harshly by driving Filipino fishermen away from Ayungin Shoal, the Philippine government was still not alarmed. Only when bigger Chinese Navy boats began arriving and discreetly reclaimed the Ayungin shoal, did the Philippine government file a protest in the international tribunal of the United Nations, in charge with the law of the sea. America did not lift a finger, because, accordingly, she is on the other side of the world, far from the disputed body of water. It instead, concentrated on the joint-military exercises with the Filipino military. Or, could it be that it was the time when she was in the process of obtaining loans from China?

Of late, however, America seems to be “noisy” as regard the West Philippine issue. Is she really serious, or just displaying a nauseating travesty? Several months back then, while Filipino fishermen were being drenched by the Chinese Navy with water cannons, the president of America is having a grand time meeting with his Chinese counterpart.

In the meantime, what has the United Nations done, since the very start of the controversy? Nothing! It waited until the issue has grown enormously out of proportion in view of the high-tech military facilities that the Chinese have installed on the artificial island that they have boldly built out of an insignificant atoll. Worst, the double-talking Chinese are heaping blames on the Philippines for the transformation of simple bickering on boundary, into an inveterate magnitude today.


The big question now is on the relevance of the United Nations in the face of all the fiascos from Africa to Asia, not to mention, the somewhat contained turmoil in Europe. How can it be called an arbitrational organization of nations when it cannot even prevent tensions among member- nations, much more, control violent eruption of pockets of unrests around the world? Is the United Nations chartered for the expedient and systematic exploitation of the poor member-nations by the powerful ones? 

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Aggressive and Violent Islamic Expansionism Poses Threat to World Peace...a caution to the Philippines

Posted on Sunday, 8 November 2015

Aggressive and Violent Islamic Expansionism
Poses Threat to World Peace
…a caution to the Philippines
By Apolinario Villalobos

There is nothing wrong with all kinds of religion or cults, for as long as tolerance and respect among the faithful are observed. If there is no violent or aggressive attempt of conversion, I do not think that animosity shall be developed among the parties concerned. Conversion should be done “indirectly” – through convincing actions by the advocates, to show others that indeed, their religion is worth embracing. People should be given a liberal option as to what faith they should follow. They should not be intimidated by force, or threatened with the nozzle of a gun.

Special reference is being made to the religious polarization of the world between Christian and Islamic faiths. Tension between the two has slackened after the Crusade era. But, it seems that even religion is following a cycle or giving truth to the adage that history repeats itself, as lately, an aggressive Islamic expansionism is on the rise, spearheaded by its extremist advocates. There is a global attempt today for the “restoration” of Islam as supposedly the world religion, and even an aggressive “expansion”, which to the layman could mean “mass conversion”.

Hugging cyber news pages are European countries that are under the pressure exerted by the influx of Muslim immigrants, purportedly victims of persecution in their countries of origin, particularly, Syria. And, there is even an appeal by the United Nations to the far-off Asian countries to “adopt” some of them. Some European countries, being nearest to the origin of these evacuees were the first to offer succor and accommodated the refugees. Unfortunately, these generous countries are now being rocked with unrest by the same beneficiary of sympathy, in the name of the latter’s Islamic faith. There is even a bold threat by a group of Muslims in Denmark that their host shall become the “first Muslim country in Europe”.

The extremist ISIS group has done more than enough destruction to the historic and Biblical countries that they occupied and fear to the rest that they plan to overrun. Will Europe suffer the same fate, as there could be Islamic terrorists who may have successfully melded with the so-called “refugees” who have been accommodated by sympathetic European countries? From Europe, will masquerading terrorists who may have successfully blended with authentic refugees creep their way towards Southeast Asia to muddle the harmonious and peaceful co-existence of Christians and Muslims?

While the Muslims are aggressive in their attempt to convert others, none of such drive can be observed among the Christians, especially, the Roman Catholics. The publicities being enjoyed by the Vatican because of the controversial new pope, Francis, should not be taken as an attempt to convert. In fact, there is an ongoing cleansing within the Roman Catholic community, as shown by the purging of erring church leaders, as well as, vehement reminders of the pope for his flock to follow the “Christian way”. Nothing about converting Muslims, Protestants, etc. is being done in any way. On the other hand, if the effort of the new pope is viewed by skeptics as a convincing “Christian act” of a Roman Catholic, it is up to them to decide if they want to jump over the fence and join the flock of Jesus.

In the Philippines, particularly, Mindanao, the Muslims and Christians are enjoying a harmonious and peaceful co-existence. The call for autonomy which many Filipinos deemed long overdue is more political and not a matter of religion. In fact, it is expected that the same clamor for political autonomy shall be raised by the rest of the regions as the system has been proved to be effective in the Cordillera Region, although, deemed necessary in the first place, due to the archipelagic make up of the country.


The Philippines is a clear manifestation of harmony if tolerance and respect among people with diverse culture and faith, are observed. In view of the threat that is now rocking some European countries due to aggressive religious assertion by Islamic fundamentalists, Filipinos should be more vigilant and help each other in maintaining a steadfast resistance against any religiously-hooded incursion that could be tainted with evil intent. Filipinos have stood united on a foundation of strongly- welded brotherhood that not even the corrupted political system failed to shake. This fervent show of steadfast conviction should send a warning to the evil-minded around the world, that the Philippines is not a breeding ground for  unrest under the cloak of religion that the misguided extremists plan to foment…as such attempt shall never and ever be tolerated!