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.
In the end, protecting the Filipino mind is about protecting our capacity to trust wisely.
The Philippines has signed a $700-million deal with the Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) for 12 FA-50 aircraft to boost the country’s air defense capability.
The Philippines would be heavily burdened by paying back loans to acquire $5.6 billion worth of F-16s, making Manila more dependent on Washington.
China’s state-owned and controlled media posted a news story and photo, where it seized control of an uninhabited feature in the South China Sea, a clear violation of the 2002 informal code of conduct it agreed to with the 10 Southeast Asian Nations.
