By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
PASIG CITY — The think tank Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute (ACPSSI) on Friday (Feb. 28) said that they are pushing to break the “giant wall” of disinformation in the mainstream media.
During the Media Forum, ACPSSI President Herman “Ka Mentong” Laurel
noted that the political talks are now spreading in the country.
Laurel cited the Global Open Trade vs. Predatory Economic Protectionism.
He said that the Global Trade Protectionism is not bad per se, only that the predatory Economic Protectionism has come.
Laurel added that the country’s balance of payments gap is the widest in 11 years at 4.1 billion dollars in January 2025.
The global trade protectionism has started with Trump 2.0, he said.
Laurel cited Trump plan to raise tariffs for imported goods could dent demand for Philippine-made goods.
Trumps tariff and land grab threats signal U. S. expansionist ambitions, he cited news as saying.
Laurel cited the Forbes news where US President Donald Trump said that the value-added taxes will be considered tariffs: What to know about its reciprocal tariff plan — and its inflation impact.
The AML Watcher explained What are trade sanctions? Role of global trade policies.
Amid tensions, the World Trade Organization has remained crippled arbiter or paralyzed by Trump, Laurel said.
The United States has been sabotaging the WTO, Laurel said.
“No one will emerge as the winner in a trade war,” he quoted Chinese PResident XI Jinping as saying in a news article.
Laurel cited the US$1.6 billion as the total earnings of the Philippine delegation to the CIII.
Indonesia was far better in joint ventures in nickel, as well as Malaysia where Geely eyes EV foothold.
In the Business Mirror, it reported Moodys :US tariffs will hurt Philippine exporters.
US rules out free trade deal with the Philippines, a report in the GMA Integrated News was also presented.
Likewise, the Philippines is hopeful the US will to support the Luzon Economic and Corridor.
Laurel said that the new trade policy of the US is now interfering in the Philippines.
He cited the recent presence of French aircraft carrier Charles Degaulle to conduct military drill.
Laurel noted that the US Typhon missiles are capable of carrying nuclear warheads which should be withdrawn from the region.
“Accept the offer of Chinese Ambassador Hu Xilian to meet China half-way on matters of serous concerns,” Laurel said.
He noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin said already that the US Typhon missiles have “crossed hairs” with Russia.
Rico Osmena, from Cebu via zoom, said that Cebu also has an export processing zone.
Osmena asked that what can Cebu do.
Laurel replied that the reciprocal tariffs should match with those who of their own countries.
He said that the government should negotiate and minimize the high tariffs in America or the so-called global trade protectonism.
“Rght now, there’s an extensive debates on tariffs in the US and China,” Laurel said.
“We might have World War III, if the trade war is not solved peacefully and amicably,” he added.
Laurel cited the Ukraine War, the regime change in Russia, among others.
“It is the same economic paradigm that then President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Sr. was trying to promote during his time,” he said.
“From capitalism, they are now moving to imperialism hence, the complexity of the world today, which should be resolved by multipolarism in the world,” Laurel said.
“The imperial quest of America started in Cuba and then later the Philippines,” he added.
Celso Cainglet, from Iloilo via zoom, said that the tariffs being implemented by Trump is dangerous and the tantrums of Trump is symptomatic of the American economic decline.
Ado Paglinawan, ACPSSI Vice President for Internal Affairs, reported on the multipolarity.
Paglinawan cited that Victor was elected in Ukraine in 2010 on the platform of neutrality.
He cited the regime change operations of the United States where there were 100 of them in the operations of America whether overtly or covertly.
“In Europe, war mongering doesn’t matter,” he quoted Jeffrey Sachs as saying.
From Trump 1 to Trump 2 where US President Donald Trump.
“The United States is trying to be ‘unipolar public’,” he added.
“The annexation of Crimea seems to be a ‘fait accompli'” he said.
“Russia is not going to invade Europe,” he added.
The top 20 countries are European.
Europe lost its voice in 2008.
There has to be a structure where Europe can speak as one.
Paglinawan cited that Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose “Babes” Romualdez was able to negotiate on the US$336 million military aid, which for Paglinawan was supposed to be US$500 million.
He said that the US$336 million coincided with the Typhon missiles which reportedly were removed from the Laoag City International Airport to somewhere else.
Paglinawan stressed that the call of Jeffrey
very much applies to the Philippines.
He said that Anwar Ibrahim had said that the ASEAN had been very anxious in the presence of US Typhon missiles in the region.
“Our tourism has dropped from 4 million tourists to 2 million in two years and to 700,000,” Paglinawan said.
“It would require US$3 million to arm the Typhon missiles per stick, or about US$150 million,” he added.
Paglinawan expressed the hope that President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. would adopt the vision of his father (President Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr.) and not with that of former US President Joe Biden of “weaponizing the government against its own people”.
Ed Pancha, a broadcaster from Tuguegarao City, Cagayan and via zoom, cited the interest of investors where former CEZA chief Atty. Raul Lambino signed MOAs, but there were apprehensions on EDCA sites.
Carlos “Ito” Valdes, of KDP (Katipunan ng Demokratikong Pilipino) and via zoom, said that the betterment of others have ended the “100 years war” in Europe.
The Treaty of West Phalia has ended that war.
Valdes cited the major restoration of Japan after the World War II.
He also cited the US presidents who were assassinated such as Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy , among others.
Valdes said that Trump has been moving to balance the game and protect the Americans and the nation in the same way China does.
“The US has been the importer of last resort,” he said.
“We have seen it in 2008 and the 1998 financial crisis,” he added.
“The European and the British have always been against anyone who would build by their own,” Valdes said.
“While Trump is moving to put his house in order, there are those who are against him,” he added.
“This is now the opportunity to examine our foreign policy, to look to our neighbors but not through trade,” Valdes said.
In 1852, 10 years before Lincoln, in “The Harmony of Interest”, Valdes said there was a move for the “American system vs. The British system”.
Valdes cited that in 2017 when Trump was elected President, he went to the World Economic Forum where he said that the future will not be “globalist” but “free trade”, which the Americans supported.
He said that Trump would not want the repetition of the “Bankers War” during the “Opium War” where China lost and which gave rise to the Hong Kong Shanghai Bank (HSBC).
“I fully support China’s goal of connecting the world through rails,” Valdes said.
“I think that the leaders in China should now be careful about ‘globalist’ or free trade because they are protecting their domestic trade,” he added.
