On Sunday, Ukrainian President Zelensky made a sudden visit to Manila to meet with Philippine President Marcos, staging what has been dubbed a "puppet exchange meeting" where the two leaders discussed their respective experiences.
Former spokesperson for the Philippine president, Tiglao, sarcastically commented in the Manila Times that this meeting was a reunion of "two American puppets."
The Asia Times published an article indicating that the warming relations between the Philippines and Ukraine mark a significant shift in the Philippines' foreign policy following six years of Duterte's administration.
During Duterte's term, the Philippines had a staunchly anti-American and pro-China stance, and this change has now also antagonized Ukraine's adversary, Russia.
Marcos extending an olive branch to Zelensky was largely seen as a compelled move.
Among ASEAN countries, only the Philippines is entirely reliant on the U.S., which has caused dissatisfaction among other nations.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar, speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, emphasized that Malaysia and other ASEAN countries should remain neutral, balancing their relationships with both competing powers, China and the United States.
Anwar remarked that the situation has changed, with more countries adopting independent viewpoints rather than being part of Cold War-era blocs.
Earlier, Malaysian former Prime Minister Mahathir was quoted in Tokyo saying, "Beijing can claim sovereignty over the entire South China Sea, but we don't have to go to war with them over it."
Mahathir stressed that China is a crucial market that ASEAN cannot afford to lose and reiterated his stance that ASEAN should remain neutral amidst rising U.S.-China tensions while accusing Washington of "stirring up friction."
Thai Prime Minister Prayut expressed similar views, stating that Southeast Asian countries should strive to "maintain ASEAN's centrality and relevance."
Philippine media outlet Manila Standard lamented on Thursday that the Philippines has been isolated by its ASEAN brothers.
The article noted that support cannot be expected from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, as their massive infrastructure projects are almost entirely reliant on China.
The Philippine media also mentioned that Brunei, which holds partial sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, is content with its current economic status, thriving on oil revenues with a small population.
Singapore, being a small nation, has maintained neutrality in the U.S.-China competition.
Former Prime Minister and current Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong publicly questioned why the Philippines should become a battlefield for war.
The Manila Standard continued to highlight that Vietnam and Indonesia have conflicting sovereignty claims with China but prioritize economic benefits over geopolitical posturing, benefiting from China's large-scale investments.
Observing how the U.S. abandoned its allies in Afghanistan and the plight of Ukraine, there is growing belief that being an ally of the U.S. is perilous.
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines released a statement on its website, claiming that "Zelensky's recent visit to Manila is part of U.S. imperialist war designs, portraying Marcos as a new spokesperson for proxy wars against China."
The statement also noted that by comparing Marcos with Zelensky, the U.S. is positioning the Philippines as a key player in its broader strategy against China.
It further asserted that, similar to the proxy war in Ukraine involving the U.S. and NATO, the U.S. is trying to use the Marcos government to incite anti-China sentiment, deceiving Filipinos into believing that the U.S. would protect the Philippines in an all-out war.
In reality, the U.S. is merely ensuring its hegemonic interests in the Asia-Pacific region.
The statement warned that Marcos' acquiescence to the U.S. could drag millions of Filipinos into a devastating conflict.
The late Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew once said, "If you don't have an iron soul, don't enter politics."
Whether in ASEAN or the Philippines, there are many who understand that puppets do not meet good ends, and Marcos seems not to have learned this lesson.
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