THE US special ops assigned to the Philippines are surely rubbing their hands in glee at what is happening in the country right now. We are headed towards a ‘Civil War’ thru the efforts of America’s proxies – Bongbong ‘Bangag’ Marcos, Martin ‘Tambaloslos’ Romualdez, Gilbert ‘Baby Bobot’ Teodoro.
They are driving and dividing the nation thru political and economic strife thru the US inspired anti-Duterte “pogrom” and its anti-China campaign.
I noted that beginning February 2023, the US started using the Philippines as proxy against China, this after an alleged “secret deal” between BBM and President Joe Biden related to the so-called ‘hidden wealth’ of the Marcoses.
Is this why BBM dropped Duterte’s independent foreign policy and we pivoted back to US neo-colonization? Let us look at the result, thus far:
The Philippines continues to languish as a third-tier economy in Asia with annual GDP per capita at $3,906 below Vietnam’s $4,347, Indonesia’s $4,941, Thailand’s $7,335, Malaysia’s $11,649 and Singapore’s $84,734.28.
Backed by the US, the persecution of the Duterte political bloc started, particularly against Vice President Sara Duterte, his daughter and still the Filipinos’ best hope in the 2028 presidential elections.
This campaign complements America’s “strategy of tension” against China in the South China Sea bolstered by our agreement to US’ demand that become one of its ‘FOBs’ (forward operating base) in Asia.
The FOB is all about the Pentagon seeking to spread its military bases in the Asia Pacific across the so-called ‘First Island Chains’ as part of its “Agile Combat Employment” or ‘ACE’ strategy to contain (and provoke) China.
Now, both the US and its local subalterns are no longer hiding their brazen effort to provoke China with US defense secretary Lloyd Austin confirming the existence of its ‘Task Force Ayungin’ based in the marooned BRP Sierra Madre.
To further confuse the public, they have also raised drug war issues against Duterte and unending trump up charges of corruption and illegal spending versus VP Sara.
Since February 2023, these US machinations have caused immeasurable damage to the national economy and body politic: major infrastructure projects with China have been cancelled or indefinitely delayed (Mindanao Circumferential Rail, Bicol Express revival, North Rail, Subic-Clark Rail, etc.);
We lost a potential 1.7-million Chinese tourists to our ASEAN neighbors; we lost to Vietnam in the volume of banana exports to China. Meanwhile, our poverty rate has worsened to 59 percent, the highest since 2008.
From then to today, the Philippines’ domestic politics has gone to the dogs.
But what seems to be ‘the hair that break the camel’s back’ in reference to our being “matiisin,” was Congress’ decision last November 24 to detain Atty. Zuleika Lopez, VP Sara’s chief of staff, at the Women’s Correctional Facility.
Filipinos are outrage knowing that this is in gross violation of Lopez’s civil and political rights as the facility is only for convicted criminals and that she was in Congress “in aid of legislation,” as a ‘resource person.’
The most telling signal that there is brewing social unrest is the statement by AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner, calling for “calm and resolve” and of “our need to stand together against those who will try to break our bonds as Filipinos.”
Is this not a clear sign that there is now a rupture in our society and a socio-political storm is looming ahead?
Looking back, do you not see the damage America is inflicting on us?