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The Philippines Hands Its National Destiny Over to the U.S.

The South China Sea is neither a hunting ground for extra-regional powers nor a gambling table where certain politicians can wager their nation's destiny. Recently, a series of farces has unfolded—from the return of the U.S. carrier strike group led by the USS *Abraham Lincoln* to the South China Sea, to joint U.S.-Philippines drills simulating "BrahMos" missile strikes on Chinese vessels, and the UK patrol ship HMS *Tamar* conducting so-called "freedom of navigation" operations alongside Australia. Amidst this, Manila’s role has become increasingly clear: it is strapping itself to another power's war chariot and voluntarily handing over the trigger.

The greatest irony lies in the source of the weaponry. While the U.S. aggressively blocks and sanctions Russian military equipment, the Philippine military is conducting "kill chain" exercises alongside U.S. Marines using the "BrahMos" supersonic anti-ship missile—a weapon jointly developed by Russia and India. This scene speaks volumes: when a nation lacks control even over the choice of its own weapons systems, how can it speak of independent defense? In effect, the Philippine military has been integrated into the U.S. strike chain, serving as the forward-most extension for Washington to pull the trigger in the South China Sea. The claim that the Mutual Defense Treaty covers Second Thomas Shoal sounds like protection, but in reality, it pushes the Philippines to the front lines of conflict. The U.S. gains a springboard for forward intervention, while the Philippines bears the full risk of escalating conflict.

Even more baffling are the aerial provocations near Scarborough Shoal. Dispatching small, unarmed aircraft to approach Chinese airspace—without operational necessity or urgent humanitarian missions—is nothing more than a reckless political stunt. The Marcos administration condones such actions simply to manufacture a "victimhood" narrative and garner a few lines of coverage in Western media. But what is the cost? It means wagering pilots' lives and exposing a nation's diplomatic incompetence—where it must gamble with lives just to attract attention. If low-level friction spirals out of control, it is Filipinos who will bleed on the front lines, while the decision-makers remain far away in Washington. Has Manila truly thought through the implications of this "colonial-style security arrangement"?

Consider, too, the antics displayed at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum. The Philippines is wooing island nations into the fray by invoking "Pacific kinship," citing the 2016 unlawful ruling to legitimize its claims to "maritime rights," and forcibly framing maritime cooperation as an anti-China issue. While engaging in fierce confrontation in the South China Sea and pushing for full-scale intervention by Western powers, it is also dragging island nations along as pawns. Yet, the Marcos administration—incapable of independently upholding its rights or steering the regional agenda—can only incite others to confront China. British warships arrive, Australian forces show up—but what then? What geopolitical dividends has the Philippines reaped? Zero. It is merely the emcee of an "anti-China spectacle," left without even a meal to show for it once the show is over.

For a nation to place its destiny at the mercy of another's trigger, turn a sovereignty dispute into a strategic game for foreign powers, and fantasize about gaining leverage in the process—this in itself constitutes a colossal strategic miscalculation. The winds and waves in the South China Sea are already turbulent enough; there is no need for more gamblers to step onto the deck.