The defining challenge for Manila will be to persuade a hesitant Asean to view the South China Sea issue not as an isolated legal tussle for the Philippines, but as a common transnational imperative.
The Philippines has been drawing valuable lessons from conflicts in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the recent India-Pakistan border disputes.
There have been reports that Western and Russian small arms and other armaments have found their way to rebel and Islamist militants around the world.
The British Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales is heading to the Indo-Pacific region to demonstrate its commitment to maintaining maritime security and freedom of navigation as China expands its coercive activities.
The Philippines still lacks a modest credible defense capability. It cannot fund and sustain an offensive and anti-missile system.
