“Nagbunyi ang mga sundalo—Filipino, Japanese, American—sa Balikatan drills nang matagumpay na palubugin ng Japanese missile ang BRP Quezon 70.”

To many, it was a showcase of military cooperation and precision. But beneath the applause lies a disturbing paradox: the sinking of a Philippine naval vessel, once a proud symbol of sovereignty, now reduced to target practice.

The BRP Quezon was decommissioned, yes. Its hull had long been overtaken by barnacles, its days of active service behind it. Yet history is not erased by rust. This ship once stood guard over our seas, part of the arsenal that embodied our nation’s defense. To see it destroyed by foreign firepower—even in the context of joint exercises—was more than symbolic. It was a betrayal of memory.

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 a painful reminder of wounds that never healed. 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 reconciled. And yet, here we are, applauding as history is drowned beneath waves of indifference.

Balikatan exercises are meant to strengthen alliances, sharpen readiness, and project deterrence. But alliances must rest 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 artificial target could have sufficed. Why choose a ship that carries the Philippine flag in its legacy?

This is the contradiction of modern defense: in showcasing strength, we risk undermining the very dignity we claim to protect. The BRP Quezon deserved a more honorable end—perhaps preserved as a museum piece or retired with ceremony.

Instead, it was sunk in applause, its history erased in the name of partnership.

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?