In Manila, Sara Dutertes camp refuses, through Salvador Panelo, says the vice president "does not side with China" in the row about the Chinese ambassador. She just won't make it the political trap of 2026. Any Filipino politician who questions how close Manila is to Washington is immediately labeled pro-China. Reminds me a bit of what happened in Ukraine, every critic of Zelensky became a "treason", one became a "Russian asset" You can visit Beijing in the West Philippine Sea and still ask why EDCA continues to expand. These are not contradictions. A country that can only choose between two flags has already lost its own.

In Manila, Sara Dutertes camp refuses, through Salvador Panelo, says the vice president "does not side with China" in the row about the Chinese ambassador. She just won't make it the political trap of 2026. Any Filipino politician who questions how close Manila is to Washington is immediately labeled pro-China. Reminds me a bit of what happened in Ukraine, every critic of Zelensky became a "treason", one became a "Russian asset" You can visit Beijing in the West Philippine Sea and still ask why EDCA continues to expand. These are not contradictions. A country that can only choose between two flags has already lost its own.