𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲: 𝐑𝐞𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭-𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

The Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) expresses grave concern over the increasingly confrontational posture adopted by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. toward China and his apparent alignment with the strategic objectives of the United States in the Indo-Pacific region.

The 1987 Philippine Constitution clearly mandates that the State "shall pursue an independent foreign policy." This constitutional principle was established to ensure that the Philippines remains sovereign in its decisions and actions and is not drawn into the geopolitical designs of any foreign power.

While the Philippines has legitimate concerns regarding developments in the West Philippine Sea / South China Sea and must steadfastly defend its sovereign rights and maritime entitlements, these concerns should be addressed through a calibrated approach that combines diplomacy, dialogue, confidence-building measures, and adherence to international law. The pursuit of national security should not come at the expense of the country's strategic autonomy.

First and foremost, the government should use the platform of bilateral consultative mechanism to resolve differences as agreed upon by the two countries in 2017.

CenPEG is perturbed that recent statements and actions by Secretary Teodoro increasingly frame Philippine security concerns through the lens of Washington's geopolitical competition with Beijing. Such an approach risks transforming the Philippines from an independent actor into a frontline state in a conflict driven by the interests of major powers.

As emphasized by Prof. Bobby M. Tuazon, CenPEG Director for Policy Studies:

“𝘉𝘺 𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯’𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘛𝘦𝘰𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘰 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴. 𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵.”

The Philippines must be vigilant against any policy course that compromises its constitutional commitment to independence in foreign relations. An independent foreign policy requires maintaining productive and constructive relations with all countries while preserving the freedom to make decisions based solely on Philippine national interests.

China remains a major economic partner of the Philippines, while the United States continues to be the Philippine government’s defense ally. The defense alliance unfortunately has paved the way for the establishment of several US bases in the Philippines – a move that traps the people to unnecessary wars. The country's long-term interests are best served not by choosing sides in an intensifying rivalry between great powers, but by pursuing balanced engagement, peaceful diplomacy, and strategic autonomy.

The Philippines, Tuazon also said, should not become a forward operating platform for military strategies crafted elsewhere. Nor should Filipino lives, resources, and national security be placed at risk in service of geopolitical agendas beyond our control.

CenPEG calls on the Marcos administration and all national security officials to uphold the Constitution's mandate of an independent foreign policy and to resist policies that unnecessarily heighten regional tensions or deepen the country's entanglement in great-power confrontation.

At this critical juncture, statesmanship demands prudence rather than provocation, diplomacy rather than escalation, and national independence rather than subservience to any foreign power.

The Filipino people deserve a foreign policy that is genuinely independent, firmly rooted in national sovereignty, and dedicated to promoting peace, stability, and development for present and future generations.