The Malacañan Palace, Monday, 17 May 1948
The thunderbolt from Peru had jolted the Philippine Council of Ministers and inspired the emergency meeting that opened in the early hours of the morning. The thought of China rapidly acquiring no less than sixteen warships from the supposedly-friendly South American nation sent waves of concern throughout the Government and the Senate. It roused tempers in all corners, and it was with some effort that President Cayetano Arellano was able to gavel the meeting to order.
“Gentlemen,” he said, attempting to radiate confidence. “We cannot argue amongst ourselves; it will not change the fundamental facts before us.”
Minister of Finance Jaime Hernández slammed his fist on the table and shouted, “We must immediately cancel the sale of the Linguyen to Japan. We cannot throw away the ships we have in this hour of peril.”
Don Joaquin de la Vega, the Defense Minister, turned to his colleague and replied, “Angering Japan will not help us in any defense against China. And we should not act in haste.”
“But surely we must react,” answered Manuel Roxas, the Vice President. “We cannot do nothing?”
De la Vega laid out, again, the long-term defensive plan that the Philippine Navy had developed, which relied upon quality above sheer numbers. He pointed out that in most categories of warships the Philippine Navy held superior numbers compared with China – and these ships were more modern, formed part of a coherent whole, and were equipped with superior weapons and sensor systems. “What China has done is spent good money to acquire more rag-tag warships our doubtful utility. They will not be transferred for months yet; and our building program will counter-balance their acquisitions handily enough.”
The Defense Minister’s confidence heartened the council, but prompted Arellano to ask. “Then what is your recommendation?”
“That we proceed with our current construction program Senor Presidente,” de la Vega replied. “By the end of the year we will add no less than eight destroyers to the fleet, with more following in the year to come. We should proceed with our coast defense plan, and take this opportunity to petition the Senate for additional funding. We should look to expansion and re-equipment of the Air Force.”
“And,” added Carlos Rómulo, the Foreign Minister, “We should move to strengthen our relationships with our neighbors who share our concerns of an expansive China.”