AN opposition lawmaker in the House of Representatives reminded China to keep its hands off elected legislators who are simply doing their job, following a surge of Chinese students in Northern Luzon, which prompted a congressman to take action.
Rep. Ramon Rodrigo “Rodge” Gutierrez of 1-Rider party-list, one of the members of the so-called “Young Guns,” defended his colleague, Rep. Joseph Lara of the 3rd District of Cagayan, from attacks issued by the Chinese Embassy here in Manila for “inciting suspicion and hatred of China,” insinuating Sinophobia, spreading fear of communism, and “hyping up China-Philippines maritime issues” in order to “serve their political agenda and self-interest”
“For the Chinese Embassy to issue a statement directly attacking the inquiry and the motives Congressman Lara has, is this the non-interference that China espouses?” he asked in a privilege speech he delivered Tuesday evening.
“The Chinese Embassy would chalk this up to Sinophobia, a resurgence of McCarthyism, and would attack and malign Congressman Lara’s motives for the resolution,” the lawyer-legislator said, referring to House Resolution 1666 Lara authored for probing Chinese students in Cagayan.
“Why does the Embassy of China presume to have the authority to tell us, the representatives of the Filipino people, our motives? We take exception to this statement,” Gutierrez declared, taking offense for what Beijing did to their colleague, their institution, not to mention the whole nation.
“This statement and accusation (from China), was levied against Congressman Lara, a sitting representative of the people of third district of Cagayan,” he added, reminding Beijing that they are duly-elected by the people in their districts, who have a mandate to fulfill, among many others.
“It should be noted, that at issue here isn’t any law passed by Congressman Lara. It isn’t even a proposed bill. There is no government policy or program questioned. It was simply a resolution seeking an inquiry into what the good congressman sees as a cause of concern within his district.”
As a backgrounder, the term McCarthyism was derived from the name of Senator Joseph McCarthy (Wisconsin) in American history, where he exposed the alleged infiltration of the communist movement in various levels and areas in the U.S. government.
It has been widely touted as the “Second Red Scare,” where it has been known to be the political repression and persecution of left-wing individuals during the 1950s, spreading fear, which included alleged Soviet influence on U.S. institutions, and Soviet espionage on American soil.
In his speech, Gutierrez clarified the Lara Resolution may not have been an entirely “accurate” one, or that all of the allegations he detailed in the total number of Chinese students in Cagayan schools were “100 percent true,” but that obviously was the rationale behind the House probe.
“But if there is any truth to the claim, even a semblance, would this not warrant an investigation? Would this not be a national security concern? Is that not the whole point of an inquiry, to ferret out the truth and bolster our laws?” he asked in a impassioned speech.
“Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. It does not require the most perceptive of minds to note an escalation of tension with our northern neighbor across the sea,” said Gutierrez, also a member of the House special committee on the West Philippine Sea.
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