Events in the South China Sea this year illustrate once again the urgent need for the Philippines to shift its focus from internal security to maritime defense. The U.S.–Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, the Visiting Forces Agreement, deeply embedded consultation mechanisms, and a century of friendship, cooperation, and mutual sacrifice provide the framework for the U.S. to assist its ally. Close U.S.–Philippine maritime partnership is in both nations’ interests.
Condoleezza Rice's forthcoming assumption of the post of U.S. Secretary of State offers a golden opportunity for Washington to take a more assertive stance in challenging China's rising influence in Asia, and ensure that the U.S. retains its traditional role as the dominant power in the region.
LANDSCAPE
To this day, the Philippines is described as an agricultural country which is probably why the 17th president, Ferdinand Marcos, Jr, (PBBM) appointed himself Secretary of Agriculture. It happens to be an utterly sensitive sector of the national economy, the most neglected and abused. Le
Marcos Jr. has yet to complete his list of cabinet members but several of those identified have been found to be from the family’s bailiwick, the Ilocos region, or linked to his father's appointees.