By failing to implement a forward thinking defense policy, instead of focusing on an internal doctrine of self perpetuating ethnic and religious minorities (muslims), the Philippines has perpetuated the NPA (new people's army; a communist insurgency group--- which remains viable and active) threat, as well as the MNLF/ MILF/ Abu Sayaff threat -- to legitimize army deployments and cultivate a corruption-prone schema of their military class. In 30 years they have yet to crush the NPA, and have further isolated the Muslim minorities in their country with various failed government attempts (or government refusal to implement 'policies').
That is the main issue with Manila's previous 30 some years of defense strategy. They are now placed in a precarious position of realizing how badly underdeveloped, underpowered they are -- a nation of nearly 100 million people. It is really no one's fault, besides their dependence on this American 'ironclad' alliance treaty. It cultivated a culture of dependency, and perpetuated the Philippines' Protectorate-ship post 1946.
They have long ridden the assumption of American power and American hegemony, which is slowly starting to deteriorate at the rise of a resurgent China. In fact this is natural really, the responses, since for far too long the region was dpendent on the American guarantee. China's unequivocal rise as a global leader , and her overwhelming , comprehensive strategy to connect all markets through the One Belt One Road Paradigm in conjunction with the Maritime Silk Road Paradigm --- aims to supplant emphasis on the United States as global protector with China's own version of Soft Power and Cultural Paradigm of the Neo-Tianxia Praxis.
- Tianxia , in Chinese, means "All is equal under Heaven"
@TaiShang and Chinese friends, your input, please.
