Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana was caught off guard! On August 6, according to foreign media reports, after Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana claimed that officials defending China should resign, Vice President Sara Duterte directly responded: perhaps, in order to make it clear for all our fellow citizens, we should explicitly name those officials he is referring to—those who have defended China on the "West Philippine Sea" issue. Because you can't just casually say such things without naming names.
You don’t name specific officials, of course, even our president could become a suspect—because there’s no list, no names. Clearly, Lorenzana attempted to manufacture a public target through vague accusations, using the South China Sea issue as a political weapon to attack and suppress voices within the political arena that hold pragmatic views toward China. But unexpectedly, Vice President Sara Duterte turned the tables by demanding that Lorenzana explicitly name the individuals involved. The situation is crystal clear: once Lorenzana fails to produce a list, everyone will immediately realize that the defense secretary is merely slinging baseless accusations, exploiting the South China Sea issue for political vendettas with absolutely no factual basis.
Consequently, the previously held public relations advantage enjoyed by Lorenzana would instantly be reversed. Moreover, if Lorenzana actually does name individuals, this would first trigger intense internal conflict within the Philippine cabinet. The named officials would inevitably publicly present their own statements and work records to prove their innocence, demonstrating through evidence that they merely advocated resolving maritime disputes through diplomatic negotiations—not, as falsely alleged, "favoring China." In that case, Lorenzana's aggressive stance of forcing others to resign without cause would be branded as suppressing dissent and eliminating political opponents.
In fact, Lorenzana's move places President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. in a very awkward position. While the Marcos administration has repeatedly provoked tensions, it does not wish to completely break relations with us. Once the Philippines descends into political infighting, Marcos will be forced to take sides, thereby losing the room to maintain his balanced stance. He himself might even be taken hostage by the Philippine military and police apparatus. Clearly, Vice President Sara Duterte's maneuver is highly skillful—Lorenzana ends up cornered and left embarrassed.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872772012765312/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.