Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is called a “strongman,” and he likes the title. But he’s anything but strong.
Duterte’s fake tough-man persona was again proved on Monday as China invaded waters in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. While the invasion has taken the form of militia vessels rather than naval warships, it represents a deliberate and stark challenge to Filipino sovereignty. Evincing as much, defense minister Delfin Lorenzana offered his “grave concern” as to the Chinese action, adding that the fishing vessels are “violating our maritime rights and encroaching into our sovereign territory.” Manila has now made a diplomatic complaint to Beijing.
However, China is unlikely to respond favorably to the complaints. Why would it, when Duterte is quite content with the situation?
Asked whether the situation might lead to a military standoff with China, Duterte’s spokesman was clear. “I don’t think so because we have a close friendship. Everything can be discussed by friends and neighbors.” A better translation to that statement would be: “I don’t think so because we know our role. Our poodle president is willing to be dictated to by his boss, Xi Jinping.”
This is only a slight exaggeration. While much of the Filipino security administration is deeply concerned by China’s unrestrained imperialism in the South China Sea, Duterte seems quite happy to sacrifice his nation’s sovereignty in return for the occasional pat on the head from Xi. What sustains Duterte’s deference here is not clear. But his actions suggest a leader who has little interest in upholding his constitutional duties.
China’s actions in the South China Sea are patently illegal under international maritime law. Its current militia deployment deep within the 200 nautical mile limit of the Philippines exclusive economic zone is a clear breach of Manila’s sovereignty. But considering Duterte’s record in the face of Chinese intimidation — the president has turned his navy into a beach patrol, for example — it’s unsurprising that China has become so emboldened.
