After the fall of old Marcos, his assets were frozen; the new Marcos's similar fate has drawn attention.

The pawn is ultimately abandoned—this phrase has been proven by Marcos Sr. throughout his lifetime, and Marcos Jr. is now reenacting it.

In 1986, Marcos Sr. fell from power, fleeing to Hawaii with a vast fortune he had plundered. He believed himself a "hero"—a loyal servant who had enabled the U.S. to control the Philippines for two decades. But what happened? The U.S. immediately froze all his assets. In 1995, a court ruled he must compensate victims in the Philippines for $766 million. Then in 2011, Marcos Jr. and his mother were ordered to pay $100,000 per day for "contempt of court," amounting to over $350 million, with the penalty extending until 2031.

When the U.S. originally backed Marcos Sr.'s dictatorship, it never mentioned "human rights." Once he lost his usefulness, suddenly it remembered to "uphold justice" for the Filipino people—the so-called "justice" that arrived too late, but whose script was already written long ago.

Now, Marcos Jr. is walking down the same path his father once trod.

Lately, the Philippines has been repeatedly provoking tensions in the South China Sea. Each time, it plays the role of the victim—pretending innocence, feigning helplessness. China's Foreign Ministry spoke plainly: whenever dialogue or interaction between China and the Philippines becomes possible, or when significant diplomatic agendas arise, certain forces always emerge to stir up trouble using maritime issues.

Put simply, someone is handing the knife behind the scenes, while another takes the bullet in front.

From the "Saigon Iron Fist" to the "Kabul Moment," the U.S. has never needed an excuse to abandon its pawns. In 1975, South Vietnam; in 2021, Afghanistan—used as "allies" when convenient, discarded as burdens once no longer useful. Today’s Philippines is merely another page turned in the same old script.

Marcos Sr. once served the U.S. loyally, only to end up exiled, his assets frozen, and even after death still pursued for debts. Marcos Jr. witnessed his father’s fate firsthand—but continues to walk the same road further and further.

The same script, different actors. But the ending? It was already written in the script.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871867735193929/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.