27-06-2026: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the Philippines President and son of the former dictatorial leader from the 1980s, visited Japan from the 26th to the 29th of May. He was met by right-wing Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and the two sides issued a joint statement which devoted primary attention to the topic of international security. Along these lines, most remarkable was the further development of the so-called Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) which was first announced at the end of 2024. The LEC is proposed to stretch from Luzon in the Philippines to the Japanese archipelago of Ryukyu, but this maritime space adjoins the east coast of Taiwan,[1] which is part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The LEC is transparently set up as a provocation against the PRC, at the behest of the US government (United State of America), which is using both the Philippines and Japan as cat’s paws against the Asian superpower. In response, the PRC made it crystal clear that Taiwan is an integral part of China, and thus the waters to the east of Taiwan are not something that Japan and the Philippines can privately negotiate over. The PRC stated that it will defend its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the vicinity.[2]
Marcos reverses Duterte
Marcos Jr, animated by the US deep state, is hell bent on reversing the highly popular legacy of the previous Filipino President, Rodrigo Duterte. From 2016 to 2022, R Duterte for the first time tilted the Philippines away from its former colonial ruler in the US, and towards friendly relations with both China and Russia. Duterte was emphatic that the Philippines was never going to war with China but would instead cooperate closely with it. For this stance, strongly backed by the overwhelming majority of Filipinos, he was targeted by Washington and its European allies. Despite this, cooperation with China enabled the much needed building of infrastructure and the quintupling of internet speed within the Philippines.[3] For this and other reasons, R Duterte was without doubt the most popular leader in the history of the Philippines, and arguably one of the most popular leaders in the world. His brand of progressive nationalism led to him garnering at least 80% support for virtually the entirety of his six-year term.[4] This was part of what led imperialism to scheme to undo what was achieved.
Enter Marcos Jr, who was elected in a landslide in May 2022, who never mentioned once his foreign policy intention of reversing R Duterte’s positions during his election campaign.[5] In fact, in an effort to feign support for R Duterte’s popular legacy, Marcos Jr ran for election with the daughter of Rodrigo Duterte (Sara Duterte) as his Vice President. Yet almost as soon as he took office Marcos Jr began the process of prepping the Philippines for a suicidal proxy war with China, with Washington covertly pulling the strings. In March 2023, Marcos Jr expanded the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the US, to enable four new US bases to be established in the Philippines, on top of the five existing US bases set up after the signing of the original agreement in 2014.[6] Even on its own, this sets the scene for the “Ukrainisation” of the Philippines, where NATO set up Ukraine as a suicidal proxy state for an improbable war on the Russian Federation. This complements the Ukrainisation of Taiwan, which the US has been plying with military hardware in recent years. Many Filipinos are aghast at this prospect, while there are split opinions throughout the archipelagic nation.
For or against war?
To facilitate the catastrophic option of a US backed Philippines waging war on the Chinese mainland, imperialism extradited and then detained Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, where he remains to this day. He faces the bogus charges of “crimes against humanity of murder, torture and rape”,[7] drawing mendacious links to Duterte’s harsh line against drug dealers (not users). Whatever one’s opinion on this issue, it is farcical to suggest that Western imperialism is primarily concerned with the well-being of addicted Filipinos. The real reason is the laying of the groundwork for the removal of the Duterte legacy in the Philippines AND the setting up of a self-destructive conflict with China orchestrated by Washington.
For the last two years, the rift between Marcos Jr and Vice President Sara Duterte has been almost entirely about going to war with China at the behest of the US. Marcos Jr is in favour, Sara Duterte is against. This is the basic reason for the repeated attempts to impeach Sara Duterte[8] – to prevent her and supporters of the Duterte legacy from derailing US plans for war with Beijing. This was also the basic reason for the gunshots which broke out in the Philippine Senate in May this year, which made headlines in Asia.[9] The ICC attempted to arrest Senator Ronald Dela Rosa to hand him over to The Hague alongside Rodrigo Duterte. Dela Rosa appealed to Filipinos to mobilise to block the ICC from effectively kidnapping a second Filipino politician on trumped up charges. Dela Rosa was a high-profile member of the former Rodrigo Duterte administration.
This conflict within the Philippines is therefore not just a clash between the supposed dynasties of the Marcos and Duterte clans. The Marcos Jr / Sara Duterte ticket fell apart over Marcos Jr subordinating the Philippines to the former US colonial power for eminently dangerous war provocations against Beijing. US imperialism is being eclipsed by Red China is virtually all fields – industry, technology, science, manufacturing, infrastructure, robotics and much more. The PRC maintains the overwhelming advantage by virtue of its nationalised land and public ownership of the major means of production. However politically deformed it may be, China’s workers state has laid the basis for its spectacular rise.
It is therefore in the interests of workers internationally to critically support the Duterte base within the Philippines, and to oppose a disastrous US led war on China – while attempting to build a political basis for the construction of real socialism. Marxist parties need to be forged which can tactically orient to Chinese workers while defending the gains of its revolution and strategically engage with the rising multipolar world and the Global South. Imperialism in its death throes is attempting to wage war on Iran, Russia and China but humanity cannot allow this to proceed. A promising new world is on offer provided the old colonial world is brought to a final and definitive end.
Workers League
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[1] www.journal-neo.su/2026/06/22/president-of-the-philippines-pays-a-state-visit-to-japan/ (24-06-2026)
[2] www.globaltimes.cn/page/202606/1363278.shtml (24-06-2026)
[3] www.gulfnews.com/world/asia/philippines/how-duterte-changed-the-philippines-in-six-years-of-his-presidency-1.1647534496252 (24-06-2026)
[4] www.thepinoyofw.com/president-duterte-popular-leader/ (24-06-2026)
[5] www.sbs.com.au/news/article/philippines-marcos-jr-wins-landslide-victory-in-presidential-poll/ejfu1c9l2 (24-06-2026)
[6] www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/marcos-says-new-military-bases-with-us-be-scattered-around-philippines-2023-03-22/ (24-06-2026)
[7] www.icc-cpi.int/philippines/duterte (24-06-2026)
[8] www.politiko.com.ph/2025/02/07/nearly-80-of-house-members-in-favor-impeach-sara-duterte-is-the-voice-of-the-people-barbers/politiko-lokal/ (24-06-2026)
[9] www.en.philenews.com/international/gunshots-philippine-senate-dela-rosa-icc-arrest-manila/ (24-06-2026)
Image: Philippines President Ferdinard Marcos Jr (left) with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (right). http://www.japantimes.co.jp
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