Marcos puts himself in Washington's loop to detriment of regional peace and stability

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's remarks on the South China Sea issue on Saturday only serve to highlight his hypocrisy.

In his interview with Japanese media outlets, Marcos claimed a "more peaceful" approach is needed to de-escalate the tensions in the waters. But the "paradigm shift" he proposed — the Philippines should engage with partners in the "Indo-Pacific" and other countries — will do exactly the opposite.

Trying to pass the buck for the worsening situation in the waters to Beijing, the Philippine leader pretended that Manila is an innocent and helpless victim of Chinese "bullying".