'Ironclad' support a blank check for trouble if Manila takes it at face value

While Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in an interview on Tuesday that the Philippines was not deliberately "provoking the bear" in the belief that it could "run to Big Brother" for protection if the bear was provoked, he effectively made it clear that it is in fact vice versa: the Philippines has solicited the support of its "Big Brother", the United States, so that it can provoke China, which it views as "the bear".

Likewise, his claim that "we must do more to defend our territory" because "the threat has grown" is on the other foot, as it is China that is having to respond to the Philippines' US-encouraged provocations over Ren'ai Reef and Huangyan Island in the South China Sea, of which there have been at least 10 occurrences since his government took office.

It is the Philippines' frequent provocations and spreading of disinformation to mislead the perception of the international community that have caused incidents that have escalated the tensions in the South China Sea. The latest was 34 Filipino personnel ignored China's warnings and dissuasion and illegally landed on China's Tiexian Reef on Thursday, according to China Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu. The CCG dealt with the incident according to the law.