Military spending
Marcos might be trying to stress his administration’s independent foreign policy and that the Philippines won’t take sides in the competing interests of the United States and China.
DISCONTENT
Marcos should watch his back. The military has no more appetite for adventures but the seeds of discontent have been sowed. Marcos could reap a rotten crop.
Coup d’état: The elephant in the chatroom
Chatrooms rife with rumors of a military coup. That was last week.
Thief in the night
Army Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, appointed as the Armed Forces chief of staff only five months ago, was removed from his position unceremoniously and without any explanation last week.
Building a modest and credible defense capability
The Philippines continued to be the weakest chain in the imaginary line of defense in the Indo-Pacific region. But the Philippines can be a reliable security partner if it has a modest, credible defense capability to help preserve the status quo in the region.