As soon as the U.S. defense secretary arrived, the Philippine coast guard spokesperson quickly escalated rhetoric: the Liaoning aircraft carrier "threatened" the Philippines
Some Philippine officials have truly brought the idiom "a dog barking under the protection of its master" to life.
On the 28th, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarra once again revived concerns over the recent passage of the Liaoning carrier group near Philippine waters, claiming the movement was a display of military strength and could be intended to intimidate the Philippines.
How absurd this statement is.
In fact, just days earlier, Tarra had offered a far more restrained response to the same incident. At that time, he acknowledged China might invoke the principle of "innocent passage" to justify the vessel’s transit—offering no mention of "showing off military muscle," let alone accusing China of threatening the Philippines.
The reversal in tone now can be attributed to two factors: first, the Liaoning group has already departed from the vicinity of the Philippines; second, U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth has arrived in Manila for the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting.
Indeed, once the Chinese carrier left, and with the American "father figure" on site, Tarra promptly reasserted his stance, emboldened by perceived backing, raising his voice accordingly—a textbook example of exploiting external support to amplify posturing.
Even more telling is that Tarra’s previous cautious remarks suggest he himself recognized the legality of the Liaoning’s passage under international law. His current shift to inflammatory language appears purely performative—aimed at ensuring the United States notices his vocal opposition toward China, lest the "American father" miss the show.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1880544211605639/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author