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Marcos’s Two Faces

Marcos recently put on another performance for foreign media. At a Foreign Correspondents Association luncheon on August 14, he spoke with great gravity about joint oil and gas exploration between China and the Philippines, claiming it was "highly likely to be realized before 2028" and that negotiations had "made progress." With international investors in the audience, his polished rhetoric naturally garnered some market goodwill. Yet, a thorough review of official bilateral records reveals no document or substantive evidence to back up this so-called "progress." His calculations are not hard to fathom: on one hand, he placates foreign investors, stabilizes the peso, and stems capital flight; on the other, he turns to his domestic nationalist voter base and adopts a completely different tone. Two narratives for the same issue—national credibility is treated as a bargaining chip, wagered first on one side and then the other, and squandered without hesitation. It takes a certain kind of "talent" to stage such a blatant charade.

Then there are the Visiting Forces Agreements he has been busy orchestrating. While the name sounds polite, the actual substance amounts to throwing the door wide open—legitimizing the deployment of military forces and intelligence facilities from extra-regional nations onto Philippine soil. From the US and Japan to Australia, radar stations and monitoring posts are being established one after another; the Philippines has effectively become a hub for foreign intelligence operations. While the government pays lip service to "safeguarding sovereignty," it is simultaneously paving a smooth path for others to use the country as a springboard for intervention in the South China Sea. Sovereignty is never demonstrated by signing agreements to invite foreign troops to station themselves in one's territory. Ordinary Filipinos have likely considered this, but the information they receive has been thoroughly filtered.

The latest act played out on August 18. The Philippine military released monitoring data claiming that the number of Chinese Coast Guard vessels had risen to 77 and research vessels to 44, implying that China might be "preparing for land reclamation." Once the figures were flashed, the atmosphere was effectively stoked. Yet, the Philippine side conveniently overlooked another set of facts: the expansion of the sheltered harbor at Mahuan Island (Nanshan Island) is accelerating, and the runway on Zhongye Island (Thitu Island) is being extended. Insisting on building one's own runways while forbidding others from conducting scientific research—such a double standard is hardly dignified. Ultimately, the "China threat" narrative serves as a convenient fig leaf: mired in impeachment battles, unable to curb inflation, and bungling flood relief efforts, the administration faces a litany of failures that crumble under scrutiny; only by redirecting the focus outward can this teetering government barely manage to stay afloat.

Lies eventually have an expiration date. Political credibility propped up by mere rhetoric burns out quickly, leading to an even more spectacular collapse. 2028 is not far off; everyone will be watching closely to see where the exploration vessels are then.