Rogue Generals: A Different Post-EDSA Uno Philippines TL

And the Chinese forces are stretched thin. They have to defend their borders.

True, but at the same time, China’s geography makes any seaborne invasion difficult, which is why the normal route for invading China is through the Korean Peninsula and into Manchuria.

Chapter Fifty-Nine: Laying Down the Law



PRESIDENT KEMP GIVES ORDERS FOR GENERAL MOBILIZATION TO USINDOPACOM AS CHINA AND PHILIPPINES PREPARE TO RESUME WAR, VIETNAMESE OFFENSIVE AGAINST CAMBODIAN TROOPS CONTINUE
Los Angeles Times
November 16, 1998


A PLA helicopter squadron pays attention to the commander who is giving a lecture on basic maneuvers. The People's Liberation Army has issued a general mobilization order in response to the Shanghai Oriental Pearl and Radio Tower attack that was rumored to be sponsored by the Tadiar regime in the Philippines.

(Washington, DC) - President Jack Kemp has announced that the United States has entered DEFCON 3, as he orders the mobilization of troops in the Asia-Pacific region. USINDOPACOM's top leadership were given orders to be prepared for any military intervention in case China and the Philippines resume the war that is still considered to be active, even if it was only active because of diplomatic irregularity. At the same time, the Kemp administration has started to negotiate with the Vietnamese government on the possibility of lifting the trade embargo, which was one of the key main goals of the Vietnamese government. Moreover, an additional issue of the infamous usage of Agent Orange, a chemical weapon that is responsible for the mass birth defects that the Vietnamese children had acquired after being born, has been raised by Vietnam, in its quest for restorative justice. So far, President Kemp has not said anything yet about the issues relating to Agent Orange, although most of the American government officials are divided over the issue of Agent Orange.

"It is disgusting to see our own government tip toe through this sensitive issue, when in fact, they are complicit in the war crimes committed against innocent people in Vietnam!" shouts rising antiwar activist and Libertarian Party of Texas member Alex Jones, during an anti-Kemp rally in Austin. "Can you imagine if our own government had done the same kind of stuff as they did in Vietnam, in say, Tulsa?"

Even as the antiwar movement continued to gather steam, there were fears that the resumption of the conflict between China, and its two main enemies from the Spratlys conflict, Vietnam, and the Philippines, would lead to a major war, or even go nuclear. Already, the US military has seen a slight increase in the number of new recruits, primarily from within the local Vietnamese and Filipino communities who are eager to fight the Chinese under the American banner, while President Kemp has not only ignored the UN arms embargo imposed on the Philippines, but has announced that it is no longer willing to enforce the embargo. As a result, he has authorized the first official shipment of new American arms to the Philippines, for a meager discount. The Tadiar regime had welcomed the new arrivals of the weapons and ammunition, but held back on the more important shipment of heavy equipment. Still, the arrival of extra M551 Sheridan light tanks, as well as anti-tank and anti-air weapons was better than the meager shipment of extra ammunition that the Tadiar regime received from Indonesia.

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Excerpts from "When Civilizations Collide: America in the Age of Rogue Generals"
BY: Paul Manafort
Simon and Schuster, published 2019

Chapter Seven: Spiralling Out of Control

"Paul, I'm sorry to cut your mission short, but I need you back in DC in a few days. Don't worry; your pal Steve Bannon can handle your mission. You can resume it when you get back," President Kemp told me over the phone. "It's getting a bit more dangerous in the area now."

I nodded in agreement. "Will do, Mr. President." I hung up after the President did.

It was almost a year since I first arrived in Japan, and when I left for Japan, the President was just inaugurated. Now that I am flying back to DC, I wasn't surprised as to why President Kemp summoned me back to the capital. The war was being restarted by both China, and the Philippines, and it looked like it ws going to be upgraded into a major conflict. Already, there is a rumor that China is about to deploy their nuclear arsenal. No doubt that they wanted revenge against the Philippines for that airline hijacking incident that slaughtered thousands of people in Shanghai. Then again, the Chinese government was responsible for the mass murder of over 500,000 Filipinos that were not killed by the Tadiar regime. Well, there were already millions of dead Filipinos killed by the same military dictatorship, but the 500,000 were dead from starvation. At the same time, the Vietnamese military is doing a terrific job in driving out the Cambodians out of southern Vietnam, and with the latest military hardware that we're shipping to Vietnam, it looked like we're giving the Chinese military a black eye. Yet, as an Asian power, China is not easy to humble, and it looked like they wanted to humble us all. With nuclear blackmail, if necessary.

***

When I arrived back in DC, I was given a Secret Service protection detail as I left Dulles International Airport, and rode into the White House aboard a limo that was normally reserved for top leaders. By the time I arrived inside the Oval Office, the President was in a conversation with numerous people. Some of those faces, I recognized, but others, not so much. I made a bit of an effort to join the group, but to my surprise, John McCain beckoned for me to come closer. President Kemp shook my hand as he started to lead some of the officers into a more secure room. I can understand McCain's presence in what is supposed to be a military meeting, having been appointed as Secretary of the Interior, but I was of the opinion that he did not have any connections to the military anymore. Donald Rumsfeld on the other hand, still had his old contact from his military days, but the biggest surprise was the addition of some unknown guy, whom I later learned was a new appointee to President Kemp's new organization, the Domestic Security Council.

"What is the situation with USINDOPACOM?" The President asked one of the generals. Surprisingly, it was Defense Secretary Shalikashvili who answered.

"7th Fleet has been mobilized, with all surface vessels and submarines having left Yokosuka Naval Base, and are heading straight for the Taiwan Straits. We also have Marine Corps regiments in Okinawa being prepped up for deployment. In addition, we also have CENTCOM telling me that they might be recalled from their UN peacekeeping mission in Iraq for a redeployment into Australia." I was not surprised at how the situation in the Asia-Pacific region have deteriorated to the point where we might even see WWIII erupt. I gotta hand it to Artemio Tadiar: for a brutal dictator, he sure knows how to tempt China into triggering a nuclear war, much more a nuclear holocaust.

President Kemp sighed and nodded. "President Jackson was a fool for letting China get away with literal murder, but he's managed to avoid getting impeached. I had a year to clean up his mess, and so far, the Dems have obstructed me at every moment." He turned to McCain and grumbled. "Do you think we could at least encourage our Vietnamese renegades to give the Chinese some more nosebleeds?"

McCain laughed lightly. "I think so, although I do not want to get involved with anything that involves Vietnam. I still have those PTSD episodes from my ordeal with the Viet Cong."

"I understand. Maybe if we could persuade General Tadiar to calm his balls down, he could be willing to listen. I don't blame him if he refuses to sign another Chinese peace treaty. Besides, the international community doesn't recognize Chinese sovereignty over the Spratly Islands, so maybe if we could persuade both the Vietnamese and Filipino governments to at least allow us to build another base there, we could really secure SE Asia from Chinese meddling," Shalikashvili suggested.

Shalikashvili's suggestions did have merit, albeit a bit misguided. We did not want a repeat of Tadiargate, where such a scandal had sunk the career of former President Reagan, and torpedoed the potential presidency of George H.W. Bush, though Tadiargate 1.0 was tied to the Iran-Contra Scandal. I started to understand why Jack Kemp had an eye on Japan as one of America's potential regional enforcer, but at the same time the Japanese state was constitutionally handcuffed by Article 9. The most embarassing thing is, we placed the constitutional handcuffs on Japan, preventing them from having a formal military. However, it was fully justified, because of Japanese militarism that was responsible for the various atrocities, including the Bataan Death March and the abuse of the Allied POWs. The memories of the last major war we fought, the one that truly mattered to us Americans, was still fresh. Even more so, many Filipinos who opposed Tadiar and his obsession with forming closer ties to Japan, have come out in support of a peaceful settlement between them and the Chinese government. Unfortunately, many of the same people who came to America from the Philippines after the Filipino Civil War ended had turned on their own community when it became apparent that some of them were willing to make peace with the same nation that robbed them of their family members, who died in the bombing.

"Who is in charge of the CIA cell in the Philippines?" I asked the President.

"Why? Do you want to talk to Jon Bennett Ramsey himself and tell him that he and his family are going to be targeted by Chinese nukes?" President Kemp replied back sarcastically. "From what I heard, his daughters are enrolled in a boarding school run by one of Tadiar's lackeys. I don't know what goes on in that school, but at some point, I will have to apppoint Mr. Ramsey a position within my own administration if I were to win another term."

I smiled. "I think you will win another term, Mr. President. Let's worry about the Midterm elections first, and the Gubernatorial elections as well."

"Oh, right. I forgot that there are some Gubernatorial elections happening this year as well. From what I heard, Ross Perot is neck and neck with Bush Jr., and he's taking Texas by the storm." President Kemp turned back towards his generals and stood up. "Have the Fifth and Seventh Air Forces mobilize their planes, and send them on a recon mission. I will speak to both the South Korean and Japanese leaders, before turning my attention to General Tadiar. We will also need to discuss a possible shipment and sale of the F-14 Tomcat to any nation interested, or restart production on those with various upgrades. Oh, and make sure to arm some of our bombers with some BLU-116 bombs, and other kinds of bunker buster bombs."

"Yes, sir." The officers promptly left the secured room as President Kemp turned his attention towards me.

"You won't be going back to Japan yet, Paul. I need you to go down to Texas, and make sure that our guy wins," Kemp simply told me, and I nodded. "Ross Perot is the man of the future."

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"The hard fought campaign by Ross Perot in the 1998 Texas Gubernatorial election was as vicious as it can get. One could easily assume that the 1998 Texas Gubernatorial election was tainted by the election interference of another nation, but that wasn't the case. Rather, it was the combined efforts of both Paul Manafort and Oliver North who played a vital role in preventing George W. Bush from winning another gubernatorial election by pointing out the worsening state of Texas's economy, primarily due to the decline in the sales and demands for Texan oil. Coincidentally, Texas's economy started to suffer, forcing many Texans to move into states like Arizona and California, where they found jobs in the construction industry, fixing the Bay Area and renovating it after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake that left the region damaged. The only saving grace for Texas's economy was the slow arrival of Mexican seasonal workers who often come to Texas to work in the agricultural sector, harvesting much needed crops for domestic consumption. Ross Perot's campaign platform rested on transitioning Texas from a primarily oil and gas based economy, to that of manufacturing. In addition, medical tourism was becoming a popular topic talked about by Perot, as he boasted that one day, 'Texas will become the destination for medical tourism, where medical and dental care will become a hot commodity for all, whether or not they live in the US', garnering some controversy. By far, the biggest corporate donors to the Ross Perot Gubernatorial election campaign were three semiconductor design companies, like Intel, Dell, and Texas Instruments, known for their production of calculators. In addition, Perot's own company, Perot Systems, which was run by his son, Ross Jr., had been a major contributor to his father's campaign as well, and in fact, Ross Jr. would later join the Texas Libertarian Party in 2001, before defecting to the Texas branch of James Traficant's National Revival Party. Another major political platform promoted by the Ross Perot campaign was the overhauling of Texas's education system. Before Perot became governor, Texas had been struggling in areas of mathematics and sciences. The thing we call the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), fewer students are taking the STEM subjects in post-secondary education, preferring to either study business or getting into trades, and the few non-academically inclined young people had opted to not get involved in post-secondary studies altogether. The ones who are academically inclined are taking subjects in the liberal arts studies, meaning that Perot's fearmongering propaganda of a decline in students in the STEM fields have sadly become a reality. Thus, Perot's incentives of Texas offering scholarships to out-of-state students wishing to study any of the STEM subjects, and attracting international students to study as well, was a part of his ambition to dethrone California as the technological hub of the United States." PBS Documentary on "The Rise and Fall of Ross Perot", released on July 18, 2016

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UNITED STATES IMPOSES ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AND ARMS EMBARGO ON CHINA OVER ITS AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, WHILE UNITED NATIONS RE-IMPOSES FEW PROVISIONS OF ECONOMIC SANCTIONS ON PHILIPPINES IN RESPONSE TO TERROR ATTACK IN SHANGHAI
New York Times
November 21, 1998


(New York City) - The US Congress voted overwhelmingly in favor of imposing economic sanctions on China, over its military aggression in the West Philippine Sea, while the United Nations re-imposes some of the provisions from the original economic sanctions on the Philippines in response to its role in the infamous Shanghai Oriental Pearl and Radio Tower attack that killed over 2,000 people. Although the Philippine ambassador has been recalled by the Tadiar regime a couple of years ago, the Chinese ambassador to the US has denounced the sanctions, calling it an attempt to undermine the peace process set by the Treaty of Berlin. In addition, while the UN is contemplating on imposing sanctions on Vietnam, there is already fear of the Vietnamese threatening to withdraw its ambassador to the UN, which would create a precedent where any sanctioned nation can easily recall its ambassador. Such fears had a dangerous precedent in the past, when the League of Nations was still around, the ambassadors of Japan, Italy, and Germany walked out when it became apparent that they were being restricted by the international body, leading to the collapse of the League of Nations.

"Our administration has imposed the toughest round of sanctions on China, and with this act, we will undermine the Chinese dictatorship, so we can expel them from the disputed Spratly Islands, and eventually force both the Chinese government and the Tadiar regime to formally put an end to their war," President Jack Kemp said while addressing the media reporters on the current situation in Asia. "In addition, China should remember that the United States is capable of using its military power to impose any kind of settlement that neither side would be pleased to accept."

However, the UN sanctions imposed on the Philippines had already put the Philippine economy on the brink of collapse, and in fact, the Tadiar regime is intentionally dragging the sanctions out, so he could engage in another one of his economic experiments. In fact, there has been rumors that the Central Bank of the Philippines has already declared its inability to print out more currency notes, due to a lack of paper supplies needed to print it, and as a result, the Philippine economy is operating on a temporary barter system with neighboring Indonesia. Moreover, Indonesia's President Megawati Sukarnoputri is facing pressure to end Indonesia's lucrative barter agreement with the Philippines, in hopes of triggering a collapse of the Tadiar regime, and the return of the government-in-exile. On the other hand, Tadiar's passing of the new 1998 Philippine constitution has resulted in the Philippine government's embarkment on a radical political reform that enshrines the federalization of the country, giving more political power to the provinces, while keeping the right to appoint new governors on the grounds that certain areas of the country have to be managed as a military zone.

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TADIAR REGIME IMPLEMENTS ARTICLE THIRTEEN OF THE 1998 PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION, INTRODUCING RADICAL CURRENCY REFORM
Manila Times
November 30, 1998

(Manila) - The Council for National Sovereignty, under the leadership of Brigadier General Artemio Tadiar, has passed Article Thirteen of the new 1998 constitution, thereby introducing the new currency reform. Citing the inability of the Central Bank of the Philippines to keep control of the inflation crisis, the Tadiar regime would instead take charge of the printing of the Philippine peso, and for all current Philippine peso bills to be taken out of circulation, while preparing a new set of peso bills that would truly reflect the country's new political status. Article Thirteen of the 1998 Constitution allows the Philippine government to take control of the production of the nation's currency, and to use the new government-issued money to fund any large-scale infrastructure plan that is considered vital to the nation's interest. To pay for the national program, the Tadiar regime would also introduce the issuing of Labor Treasury Certificates, which would be given to any worker who is employed in any industry that involves infrastructure repairs.

"The Philippine economy is far too devastated to play any role in the global economy. Therefore, we have to take it upon ourselves to rebuild our economy from scratch, without any possible help at all. While we appreciate Japan's assistance in helping us recover from the devastation of the war with China, we would be more grateful if Japan could give us more of their technical expertise than financial assistance. Thanks to UN sanctions, our economy has already reached the bottom, and we must initiate a National Reset, to help revive our nation once more," Tadiar announces during an emergency session in the new Philippine legislature, the Bayanihan. "Agriculture will remain the top priority within our nation, but infrastructure will also become just as important."

The idea of a government-issued fiat currency is not a new concept. During the American Civil War, former US President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Greenback dollar, which had been proposed as an alternative to the loans being proposed by various banks, in exchange for high interest rates, which Lincoln refused to accept. However, the concept of the Labor Treasury Note was more notorious in its usage by Adolf Hitler during his dictatorship, when he used the Labour Treasury Certificate to help fund the infrastructure projects, and for a time, it was successful, until he switched his priorities to rearmament. Already, there are numerous predictions as to how the Tadiar regime's experiment with the Labor Treasury Note will be successful, especially when the Philippines has other major issues to tackle, especially the inevitable battle between Chinese and Filipino troops for the first time since the Battle of Yultong, during the Korean War. Yet, the Kemp administration has made it clear that if the US military sees any attempt by either side to initiate a new war, they will step in and use force as a pre-emptive measure. So far, neither side is willing to start the shooting war that would invite American military intervention in the region.

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FOREIGN MINISTER OF PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT-IN-EXILE DENOUNCES TADIAR'S APPROVAL FOR SALE OF LAND IN LUBANG ISLAND TO FORMER IMPERIAL JAPANESE ARMY OFFICER WHO SURRENDERED IN 1974
Vancouver Sun
December 6, 1998

(Whistler) - The interim Foreign Minister of the Philippine government-in-exile, Virgilio Garcillano, has come out to denounce the Tadiar regime's approval of the sale of over 300 hectares of land in Lubang Island to a prominent former Imperial Japanese Army officer, who is better known for his 30-year war against Philippine and wartime Allied soldiers, until his surrender in 1974. The criticism comes at a time when anti-regime sentiment is on the rise, and coupled with the Tadiar regime's flirtation with Japan, it is not difficult to make a connection between the anti-Tadiar rhetoric being tied to a smouldering anti-Japanese sentiment in the Philippines. In front of the Japanese Embassy in Ottawa, as well as the Japanese Consulates in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver, numerous Filipino activists who support the Philippine government-in-exile held demonstrations, denouncing Artemio Tadiar by comparing him to an obscure former president of the Japanese-sponsored puppet regime installed by Japan during WWII.

"To the Japanese government: will you kindly get the hell out of my country!? Are you trying to colonize us once again? The last time you occupied our country, you butchered 100,000 Filipinos in Manila, raped most of our women in comfort stations, and exploited us for slave labor! And to Artemio Tadiar: will you kindly resign and get the hell out? You are nothing but a Makapili traitor who disgraces his country!" yells Garcillano, during a rally in front of his supporters at the Japanese Consulate on West Hastings Street, in downtown Vancouver.

The criticism however, was met with condemnation from the Tadiar regime, as the new Foreign Minister of the Tadiar-ruled Federal States of the Philippines, former Reform the Armed Forces member turned Tadiar loyalist, Brigadier General Billy Bibit, had given his harsh criticism towards his counterpart in the Philippine government-in-exile.

"The so-called government-in-exile is nothing but a den of snakes, controlled by their communist master in Beijing. It is the Chinese government who was the biggest sponsor of the Philippine government-in-exile, even though they are based in Canada. Unlike the cowards surrounding the idiotic housewife-turned-president, we bore the brunt of the fighting against the People's Liberation Army. We spearheaded the efforts to federalize the country when you bastards were fleeing in exile!" Brigadier General and Foreign Minister Bibit said during a parliamentary session inside the Bayanihan, to the approval of the politicians appointed by the Council for National Sovereignty. "Hello, Garci? This is the Federal States of the Philippines speaking, telling you to screw off!"

The 300 hectares of land purchased by former Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda is to be used for one of his major ambitions, which is an experimentation in the cross breeding of the water buffalo that is indigenous to the Philippines, with other species of the water buffalo that will be imported from India. His efforts to cross breed the water buffaloes is a part of the Tadiar regime's attempt to improve the Philippines' food supply situation, made worse by the Chinese bombing campaign against the Philippines, as a part of the wider war in the Spratly Islands region. Once former Lt. Onoda is successful in his endeavor, he plans on creating a network of water buffalo ranches throughout the Philippines, in order to provide the nation with both water buffalo meat and milk. Mr. Garcillano's criticism however, is not without merit, for many people of Lubang Island have opposed the presence of Lt. Onoda, since he is a reminder of the tragedies that they suffered while the former IJA officer was stuck in the island, even after Japan's formal surrender to the United States at the end of WWII.

"National Reset?" That was a term that looks familiar.

The Whistler-based PH government might have some mixed to negative feelings towards China, but their existence will become a real pain in the ass, especially if other governments need to negotiate something with the Philippines. Problem is, the Philippine government-in-exile controls what is basically a small, hotel lodge that makes you think of micronations like Sealand, Seborga, and maybe even San Marino, and yet they have more legitimacy in the eyes of the exiles. On the other hand, you have a military dictatorship that actually controls the legitimate territories of the Philippines, and has accomplished political reforms that would make OTL's Cha-Cha advocates go green with envy.

I am going to think that perhaps it might be on either Tadiar's part, or Faeldon's part that Onoda might start making amends with the families of the victims he killed during his Holdout years. Giving the families some of his prized cross-bred carabaos might be a huge deal for them, as the cross-bred carabao might be stronger physically, and that it could provide better taste for its milk. 

We are going to see a trend within the government-in-exile here: most of the people that are angling for top government posts within the government-in-exile will either have no political experience, so to speak, or are connected politically (think Cayetanos, Ampatuans, Aquinos). In contrast, the Tadiar dictatorship will be dominated by military officers instead of political families, so it might be weird, but not farfetched to see Tadiar offer, say, some obscure post, to an exiled Chilean or Burmese officer.

Yes, and we might also hear the phrase "Taong Wala", or Year Zero, at some point.