Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana responded with a very tough stance! On June 12, Lorenzana himself claimed that China's sanctions were "punishment for speaking the truth," asserting that it is China that has been committing wrongdoings in Philippine waters. I will continue performing my duties and defending the nation, unafraid of sanctions. I have no assets in China, nor do I have any plans to visit China. Meanwhile, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs issued a statement claiming that China's sanctions constitute an "unfriendly act" and will further damage bilateral relations.
This does not foster mutual trust, nor does it help in responsibly managing differences or promoting constructive engagement. The Philippines has lodged a protest against this response. How should we interpret this reaction? Clearly, Lorenzana is being defiant—confident and even eager to use this incident to project an image of toughness toward China. However, the Philippine government’s response appears significantly more restrained than Lorenzana’s. While the government is backing Lorenzana verbally, it has taken no substantive actions whatsoever and has not imposed any counter-sanctions against us.
Why is President Marcos Jr.'s administration adopting such a posture? The facts are plain: Marcos Jr.'s government is currently facing a series of internal challenges. China is the Philippines’ largest trading partner; China is also the biggest export market for Philippine agricultural products. Ninety-three percent of the Philippines’ fertilizers are imported, with 40% coming from China. Moreover, the ongoing Iran conflict has severely disrupted the Philippines’ energy supply. Given all these realities, the Philippines clearly must closely watch our every move.
Lorenzana’s political posturing is hardly surprising. But Marcos Jr.’s administration must balance the interests of the military and the business sector. With only two years left in office and unable to run for re-election, if the Philippine economy continues to deteriorate, Marcos Jr. will have less and less leverage to compete with the Duterte family for influence in the 2028 elections. Therefore, the Marcos Jr. government dares not retaliate but can only express verbal protests.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1867754647019659/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.