Read this in The Manila Times digital edition.
THE Philippine defense sector is having a heyday depicting China as an aggressor due to law enforcement moves by the China Coast Guard (CCG) in the South China Sea.
Bongbong has fallen short of admitting that if he had his way, he would go the way of the United States in forcing through in the SCS region its advocacy of "rules-based international order" and "freedom of navigation operation (Fonop)" in what it classifies as international waters. Way back at the East Asia Summit in 2012, such a US resolve was proclaimed by President Barack Obama in this wise: "While we are not a party to the (South China Sea) dispute, we are a Pacific country, a maritime power — and a guarantor of peace in the Asia-Pacific region."
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