Dear Usec Jonathan Malaya,
With all due respect, allow me to address your recent pronouncements where you are ventilating your concern about some of our countrymen espousing “Pro Beijing” narrative, as you have categorized it.
Being in government, and in national security at that, it is very well within your purview to raise such concern, especially in times when tensions between our country and China seem to be escalating.
Then again, while you mentioned that you are keeping a close eye on these “pro-Beijing” individuals and groups, you seem to have been only looking at one side, and is ignoring another superpower which is keenly involving itself in this issue.
I sincerely believe that if one is indeed Pro-Philippines, as what WE should be, and what your posturing would like us to believe, then we should also be raising concerns on the US clawing its way into this issue, whether clandestine or covert or otherwise.
Perhaps instead of echoing known “Pro-Washington” individuals and groups about the so-called Chinese aggression, maybe you would rather make a pronouncement that the National Security Council, which is the government institution that you are representing, is keenly observing ALL of those groups and individuals who are espousing foreign interests that may run counter with our own.
Above that, you may also want to assure the Filipino people that our security cluster in government is not acting ala Gestapo in focusing on monitoring our own citizenry and is itching to stifle dissent, but rather, that you are invoking national security because what this government wants is to preserve and enhance our democratic ideals, as well as upholding the true welfare of the citizenry.
A Filipino can be Pro CHINA or pro US in his sincere belief that either superpower can best serve the nation’s interest. And he can be blinded by any of the narratives out there being indoctrinated to him, and whether it is patriotism or treachery is subjective. That is something you cannot actually regulate nor categorize as a security threat because that is the very essence of freedom and democracy.
Of course, its different if what you are implying is espionage, but is it?
So please, do not fall into that trap of being part of a fear mongering cabal out to divide your countrymen.
You are known before as true public servant of the Republic.
Kindly stay that way.