THE abrupt changes in Senate leadership could be a sign of disillusionment over the government’s close alliance with the United States, according to an independent policy group.
Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute President Herman Tiu Laurel said during a forum on Friday that the development could lead to the reinstatement of an “equidistancing” approach from major powers, which he said would allow the Philippines to resume economic development, promote regional peace and pursue shared prosperity.His comment came as the US, Japan and the Philippines conducted their largest-ever Balikatan military exercises, involving 17,000 troops, HIMARS missile deployments and full Japanese military participation across air, land and sea domains.Tiu Laurel said that the domestic political landscape in Manila could be shifting against the government’s pro-US posture.”The latest tectonic shift in the Senate is a rumbling of the Philippine political volcano that is part of the revolt against the current government’s ‘pivot to the US,’” he said.He added that this could lead to the emergence of “independent political leadership” and the “imminent reinstitution of an independent foreign policy, equidistancing from superpowers.” He described this as “the first step to the resumption of the pursuit of economic development and socially oriented governance toward regional peace and cooperation, and forever world peace and common prosperity.” Tiu Laurel said the Senate’s recent leadership change suggests that the government’s reliance on Washington may face growing opposition from within the country’s political elite.
