A Nation Betrayed: How Sovereignty Was Traded for Power 
The Philippines did not lose its sovereignty in a single moment. It was bartered quietly, deliberately, and with a smile.
Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency will be remembered not just for its bloodied war on drugs, but for a foreign policy that surrendered the West Philippine Sea to Beijing...
The Marcos Pivot: A Fracture in the Dynasty
The Philippines did not lose its sovereignty in a single moment. It was bartered quietly, deliberately, and with a smile.
Duterte’s Legacy: A Foreign Policy of Surrender
Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency will be remembered not just for its bloodied war on drugs, but for a foreign policy that surrendered the West Philippine Sea to Beijing. Under the guise of “independent foreign policy,” Duterte shelved the 2016 Hague ruling, downplayed Chinese incursions, and allowed gray zone coercion to flourish.
But silence has architects.
Senator Imee Marcos, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and one of Duterte’s closest allies, stood by as China expanded its footprint. She did not challenge. She did not resist. She enabled.
The Marcos Pivot: A Fracture in the Dynasty
When Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. won the presidency, many assumed continuity. Instead, PBBM turned—strengthening ties with the U.S., expanding EDCA, and challenging China’s aggression. This shattered the fragile alliance between the Duterte and Marcos camps.
The Accusation: A Sister’s Betrayal or a Strategist’s Play?
In 2025, Imee Marcos publicly accused President Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos of drug addiction—a calculated strike signaling political warfare and Beijing’s interests.
Timeline: Imee Marcos, Pro-China Vloggers, and Beijing’s Narrative
- Duterte downplays Hague ruling.
- Imee avoids criticizing China’s incursions.
- Pro-Duterte vloggers rise, pushing China-friendly narratives.
- Chairs Foreign Relations Committee, rarely challenges China.
- Amplifies voices defending Duterte’s China policy.
- Chinese-funded projects praised.
- Propaganda frames resistance as “provocative.”
- Pro-Duterte vloggers attend China-funded seminars.
- Influence operations confirmed in hearings.
- Sass criticizes BBM’s U.S. pivot.
- Imee maintains ties with pro-China influencers.
- Reports expose Chinese propaganda’s role.
- PBBM’s pivot seen as course correction—and betrayal.
What We’re Left With: A Nation in the Crossfire
This was never just about policy. It was about power, patriotism, and truth. Duterte traded sovereignty for political capital. Imee normalized it. PBBM’s pivot reveals how fragile and transactional Philippine foreign policy has become.
We are left with:
- A generation taught to fear diplomacy and worship authoritarianism.
- A foreign policy built on appeasement, not principle.
- A political class that treats truth as negotiable and loyalty as currency.
- Citizens bombarded with propaganda and robbed of clarity.
When greed for power becomes the compass, a nation loses its direction.