BRP Malabrigo (MRRV-4402) in Hasa-Hasa Shoal, West Philippine Sea, on 17 September 2026. Official handout.
Manuel Mogato | September 18, 2026
The Philippines needs leaders who will stand up to China’s bullying in the West Philippine Sea. Filipinos need patriotic leaders who are not afraid to fight for what is right under international law.
Under the previous administration of Rodrigo Duterte, he was too afraid to offend China, rationalizing that the country was not ready to go to war with a superpower. (Also read: Duterte’s Gentleman’s Agreement)
Duterte was also willing to throw away a landmark legal victory the country had won in the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), surrendering the Philippines’ sovereignty and sovereign rights to China.
Worse, he was willing to turn the country into a Chinese province.
Thankfully, that period in the country’s shameful history has ended.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Department of National Defense, and the security sector have finally found their voice to say NO to China’s bullying and assert the Philippines’ rights in its maritime zones.
Opposing Beijing’s ‘carrot-and-stick’ approach in maritime disputes is not an anti-China action. It is a principled stand that Philippine sovereignty is not for sale.
Resisting China’s ‘gray zone tactics’ is not a provocation or a challenge to Beijing to an armed conflict.
The Philippines is not going to war with China. It is only protecting its national interest. Allowing China to do what it wants is surrendering the country’s rights. (Also read: Reviving SEATO or building an Asian NATO?)
No self-respecting sovereign state will do that. It has to defend its honor, its flag, and country no matter what.
The Philippines must continue and sustain its policy of protecting our national interests, sovereign rights, jurisdiction, and sovereignty.
Therefore, Filipinos need to choose the country’s leaders wisely in the 2028 national elections. Filipinos must elect true patriots who will stand up for our rights. Filipinos must reject those who pay only lip service, professing love for the country, but would not care for local fishermen denied their livelihood in the West Philippine Sea, or threaten $3 trillion global trade by choking strategic sea lanes.
Filipinos must elect leaders who do not make promises but have a track record, experience, and expertise in standing up to bullies in the region.
