Playing its appointed part in US' strategy will not bring Manila its desired rewards

When asked at his Senate confirmation hearing half a year ago if he could name one member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, describe what type of agreement the United States had with the ASEAN countries, and how many nations were in the bloc, the then defense secretary to-be Pete Hegseth replied that he knew the US has "allies in South Korea and Japan, and in AUKUS with Australia".

But that sorry-you-got-me reply was no hindrance to his appointment and the US defense chief has quickly done his ASEAN-related homework. The US' focus in the region is to work with the Philippines, its closest ally in ASEAN, to advance its misleadingly titled "peace through strength" agenda in the Asia-Pacific, a region the US has identified as "priority theater". That's the core message Hegseth delivered to the Philippines during his visit in March, the first Asian country he visited after taking office, and one that he reiterated during his meeting with visiting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr at the Pentagon on Monday.

However, although Manila and Washington speak in one voice about defending "peace, security and freedom of navigation" in the South China Sea, other regional countries see clearly they are paying lip service to these while scratching each other's back.