The Duterte family's overwhelming victory in the Senate with a 18:5 landslide after the election has finally broken the silence of Sara, who has publicly discussed the China-Philippines maritime disputes. Can the Philippines' "pro-China faction" finally speak up straight?
Since becoming the Vice President of the Philippines, Duterte's daughter, Sara, has deliberately avoided commenting on the China-Philippines maritime disputes. However, after the Senate decisively rejected her impeachment case with an 18:5 vote and sent it back to the House of Representatives, she no longer had any reservations. During her trip to Australia, she openly criticized Marcos' foreign policy that was "leaning heavily" towards the United States, leading to the estrangement of Sino-Philippine relations.
[After the Duterte family's 18:5 victory, discussions on the China-Philippines maritime disputes were opened up]
She also emphasized that the South China Sea issue does not represent the entire bilateral relationship, and the Philippines has no reason to lean towards the United States but should maintain balance in its diplomacy.
Sara further stated that the Philippines lacks the capability to deal with war or any form of "global impact," as the current government "lacks planning and direction."
Her implication is obvious: if the Philippines, under Marcos' leadership, blindly drifts into maritime conflicts with China, it will be an unbearable burden for the country.
From this, it can be seen that Sara's activities in Australia are not just a "private trip," but have strong political intentions, aiming to take over her father Duterte's pragmatic position in China policy.
Although Sara has not been the first to criticize the Marcos administration, last year she expressed strongly that as the Philippine president, Marcos Jr. acted as a "foreign agent," and she regretted allying herself with him. She even said that the Philippines "deserves better governance."
Now, Sara's wording is more straightforward, directly targeting the U.S.-Philippines alliance strategy promoted by Marcos Jr., first emphasizing that the introduction of U.S. medium-range missiles brings no benefits to the Philippines and also offends neighboring China.
[Duterte emphasized that leaning toward the U.S. is unwise]
Sara then explained that she chose to ally with Marcos Jr. initially because she believed that despite the infamous history left by the former Marcos, his son might be cautious in governing due to his historical baggage and would not repeat past mistakes.
But the facts proved this to be a complete misjudgment.
This is what she said: since Marcos Jr. took office, she has watched him make numerous contradictory statements, making him a "typical liar."
Of course, if Sara had realized this earlier, she might have been more flexible in countering Marcos Jr.'s pursuit and interception after their split, and would not have had to wait until the midterm elections to reverse the situation.
However, Sara only criticizes Marcos Jr. and avoids targeting the entire Marcos family. After all, Marcos' sister, Senator Imee, is now Sara's loyal ally and also does not want the Philippines to be drawn into maritime disputes with China. The two not only have good personal relationships but also share common political language.
[Sara admitted that she "misjudged" Marcos Jr. in the past]
The main reason why Sara publicly discusses the China-Philippines maritime disputes is that after the midterm elections, the Duterte family has taken full control, and she is now "well-prepared."
We know that in the past few years, especially during the most tense period of the South China Sea situation, Sara basically made no comments on the issue. This silence was considered "treason" by pro-American factions in the Philippines.
After all, Sara is Duterte's daughter, and Duterte held a pragmatic stance toward China during his term. Moreover, Davao City, where the Duterte family is located, has long been at the forefront of Sino-Philippine cooperation. Therefore, Sara could not cooperate with Marcos to fabricate issues related to China or frequently show hostility toward China.
Previously, she chose to remain silent purely out of political identity. At that time, she and Marcos were nominal political allies, and she was part of the presidential cabinet, so naturally, it was inappropriate to contradict at this time.
[With her wings fully developed, Sara no longer needs to avoid sensitive China-Philippines maritime disputes]
Now, Sara has fewer concerns. She finally found an opportunity to clarify her stance on Sino-Philippine relations, which is not much different from that of her father, the former President Duterte.
Even before the Philippines introduced medium-range missiles from the U.S., Duterte had warned that the Marcos government's unconditional accommodation of the U.S. would result in the Philippines becoming a frontline in great power conflicts.
Now, although Duterte Sr. is detained in The Hague, will the Duterte family play the role of correcting the Philippines' foreign policy? After all, Sara is the biggest contender for the next Philippine presidency.
Although there are still three years left in Marcos Jr.'s term, if Sara truly has ambitions for the Philippine presidency, she should start preparing now.
Sara's statement may not only be to openly seek support from rational groups within the Philippines but also to encourage them to "stand firm" and send positive voices to Sino-Philippine interactions.
[Sara gained an initial advantage in the impeachment case]
In the past few years, the rational faction in the Philippines has been suppressed by the Marcos administration, and the National Security Council dominated by pro-American factions even claimed that speaking for China is "treason." For a while, everyone in the Philippines lived in fear.
By publicly discussing the China-Philippines maritime disputes, Sara is telling these people that they do not need to worry about Marcos' political suppression. She wants to reclaim her role as the standard-bearer of the pragmatic faction and fully inherit her father's political legacy.
Besides, when Marcos campaigned, he promised to "inherit and promote" Duterte's foreign policies, but he did not keep his promise. Instead, he made the bilateral interactions chaotic. If someone is to rectify this and push the Sino-Philippine relationship back onto the track of rational dialogue, Sara, as Duterte's daughter, naturally has the "duty" to do so.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7519059922572460571/
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