MANUEL “MANNY” P. MOGATO is Editor-at-Large and opinion writer, writing under the column “In the Trenches.” As Reuters Manila correspondent, he and two other colleagues won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in 2018 for their coverage of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
Why the Philippines should be wary of NATO’s expansion into the Indo-Pacific region
The Philippines should learn its lessons from other ASEAN states. It should have a more independent foreign policy and be less dependent on the West. It is unclear if the US and NATO would be there if conflict erupts.
A real, non-aligned foreign policy
Manila should grab the chance to become a dialogue partner or even become a member like India, Pakistan, and Mongolia which also have vibrant relations with the US and the West.
Enforcing the arbitral ruling
When Rodrigo Duterte was president, he discarded the landmark arbitral ruling the Philippines had won at the international tribunal in The Hague as a piece of paper destined for the waste bin.
Divisive American Indo-Pacific strategy
In January 2021, Washington crafted a strategy to promote an open and free Indo-Pacific region to deter its main competitor, Beijing, from dominating global political and economic influence.
Threat or deterrence?
The US Army has deployed, for the first time, its latest intermediate ballistic missile launcher in the Philippines, a move that could draw a strong response from China.
