A Ship Sunk, A Memory Betrayed

“Filipino, Japanese, and American soldiers rejoiced during the Balikatan drills when the Japanese missile successfully sank the BRP Quezon 70.”

To the casual observer, it was a spectacle of military precision. But to those who value history and national dignity, it was a troubling act: the deliberate sinking of a Philippine naval vessel, once a proud part of our territorial defense, now reduced to target practice.

The BRP Quezon was decommissioned, yes. It had long been retired, its hull overtaken by barnacles. Yet its symbolic weight cannot be dismissed. This was a ship that once stood guard over our seas, part of the arsenal that embodied our sovereignty. To see it destroyed by foreign firepower—even in the context of joint exercises—was a painful reminder of unresolved wounds from World War II.

For Filipino veterans who fought against Japanese aggression, the image of a Japanese missile obliterating a Philippine ship is not a neutral drill. It is an insult layered upon decades of neglect. Comfort women, victims of wartime atrocities, continue to wait for justice. Families of fallen soldiers still carry scars of a war that was never fully healed. And yet, here we are, applauding as history is symbolically erased in the name of “partnership.”

The Balikatan exercises are meant to strengthen alliances, sharpen readiness, and project deterrence. But alliances must be built on respect. Respect for sovereignty, respect for memory, respect for the sacrifices of those who came before. If the goal was to demonstrate firepower, surely another vessel—or an artificial target—could have sufficed. Why choose a ship that carries the Philippine flag in its legacy?

This is the paradox of modern defense: in showcasing strength, we risk undermining the very dignity we claim to protect. The BRP Quezon 70deserved a more honorable end—perhaps preserved as a museum piece, or retired with ceremony. Instead, it was sunk in applause, its history drowned beneath waves of indifference.

And so the question lingers, sharp and unavoidable: to the officials who decided and allowed the BRP Quezon 70 to be sunk, where is your conscience?