When the news broke about another high-level meeting in Washington—this time between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and our own Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo—it barely made a ripple on local timelines. A few headlines. A couple of photos. Standard statements about “regional stability” and “security cooperation.”
But I couldn’t shake off the unease. It wasn’t just another diplomatic handshake. It felt like another piece quietly moving into place on a board where we, the Filipino people, are barely even consulted. A board where we are increasingly being used.
I’m not anti-diplomacy. I’m not naive about China’s creeping aggression in the South China Sea either. But what worries me is how we’re being drawn deeper into something that doesn’t feel like ours. Something that feels less like peace-building and more like setting the stage for someone else’s conflict—one that could turn bloody, fast.
And this time, we’re the ones standing in the middle.
We Want Peace, Not Provocation
Like many Filipinos, I want to see our country protected. I want us to stand firm over what is rightfully ours. But I don’t want us dragged into a war just to prove blind loyalty to the Americans. I don’t want us turned into a buffer zone, a launching pad, or a proxy battleground.
That’s not sovereignty. That’s servitude disguised as strategy.
Because every time the U.S. expands its military presence here or ramps up rhetoric, China pushes back harder. More ships. More harassment. More threats. And we, the people who fish those waters, who live in coastal communities, who just want to get by—we’re the ones who pay for it.
We are not a pawn to be positioned. We are a nation of over 110 million people. And we deserve more than being spoken about in war rooms and strategy memos like we’re nothing more than a location.
What Does “Friendship” Really Cost?
They call it a partnership. But what kind of partnership gets you caught between two giants with guns drawn?
If things escalate near the Second Thomas Shoal or any of our disputed reefs—who’s going to fight? Who’s going to bleed? Not the Americans. It’ll be us.
History shows that when things get messy, U.S. support isn’t always immediate—or unconditional. And when the dust settles, it’s our communities that have to rebuild. Our economy that suffers. Our families that grieve.
Let’s not pretend this is an equal alliance. We’re being leveraged. Smiled at on camera, while quietly being cornered into commitments we didn’t fully agree to.
Diplomacy Without Dependency
This isn’t about surrendering. It’s about choosing a smarter, more peaceful path. Defending our sovereignty shouldn’t mean sacrificing our independence. There are other ways to stand firm—through ASEAN unity, through principled diplomacy, through building real capabilities instead of renting out our territory for someone else’s war.
We have the right to say no. We have the right to question if this so-called partnership is truly in our best interest. We have the right to choose peace.
Let’s not allow our leaders to turn this country into a pawn in a global power play. Let’s insist on a future built on diplomacy, on dignity, and on decisions that put Filipino lives first—not foreign agendas.
Because when war knocks on the door, it won’t be the generals or diplomats on the frontlines.
It will be us.
