Flag-waving leftists can rally night and day at Malacanang Palace and the offices of the Department of Energy but such futile efforts will not present any solution to increasing oil prices. They offer nothing to improve the political instability problem in the Middle East that has been hampering oil production and distribution. Angry voices, placards and splashing of red paint cannot provide the alternative sources of energy to address the impending global oil scarcity that the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts.
This global oil crisis is a very serious and disturbing development. This is why the US invaded Iraq — to corner the oil in Iraq and thus to dominate the Middle East oil supply. Oil is also the reason why the US and China have been strategically positioning their forces all over the South China Sea where they see untapped rich oil and gas deposits.
If the super powers are fighting over oil deposits that will dry up in 20 years, we should already talk about it and subsequently take action - short of pushing the panic button. The Philippines is the most vulnerable victim if these developments escalate to armed conflict between the US and China. The West Philippine Sea will be the front row of the theater of war. The super powers have engaged in wars with far less importance than what is at stake in this looming conflict in the South China Sea.
