A seemingly uninformed but dangerous statement was made by some “experts,” including Philippine Sen. Francisco Pangilinan who recently said the Hong Kong protestors were peaceful and defending themselves, fighting for freedom, with umbrellas used only against “brutal” police, and they should be supported.  Every element in that statement is clearly and easily verified to be untrue.

The statement yields no benefit for the Philippines, but puts us as a frontline of a geopolitical struggle between China and the US, which may become a military one, when we can be the friend of, and obtain benefits from and productive relations with, both countries.  The welfare of Hong Kong is a direct concern for us because we have over 130,000 Filipinos in Hong Kong and its stability affects the Philippines.