WHAT should we do about the flotillas of maritime militia sent by China to disputed areas in the South China Sea (SCS), including waters near Pag-asa Island, Ayungin Shoal, and other spots occupied by our forces?

How about training, arming and sending 200 militia of our own? That’s the plan of the Philippine Navy, deploying civilian troopers from the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Units (Cafgus) supervised by the Army.

Well, that should deter Chinese encroaching on our territories, right, including our exclusive economic zone (EEZ), 200 nautical miles from our main islands, and our extended continental shelf (ECS), 320 nm from shore.

Is that snickering bubbling from the readers’ gallery? Security experts would join the levity — if the Navy’s Cafgu plan weren’t fraught with no little risk of grave incidents on the high seas.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/10/15/opinion/columnists/stand-up-to-china-but-dont-be-a-pawn-of-america/780641/