South China Sea, offshore gaming may be ‘rally-around-flag’ issues for Philippine election

“We’re going to see, I think, for the first time in recent memory, the West Philippine Sea and foreign policy becoming [some of the top] issues that will define upcoming elections,” Manila-based political analyst Richard Heydarian said at a forum last Wednesday, calling the country’s maritime row with Beijing “emotionally charged”.

The Philippines and China are locked in a months-long territorial dispute in the South China Sea, with clashes between vessels from both sides becoming increasingly violent.

A June survey by Philippine NGO Social Weather Stations showed that 72 per cent of respondents believed controlling inflation remained an urgent issue, while 44 per cent wanted the government to focus on increasing workers’ pay.

Meanwhile, 5 per cent of respondents said defending the integrity of Philippine territory against foreigners was of urgent national concern – with 48 per cent approving the government’s response to the issue while 18 per cent disapproved, and 34 per cent were undecided.

“Where the disinformation comes in is to say only a few people care about the West Philippine Sea. That is absolutely not true,” Heydarian however argued.

He added that Manila’s defence posture on the West Philippine Sea might resonate more with the public if the Marcos government packaged it within a larger narrative of other issues.

“If you embed it or nest it in a bigger narrative about corruption, crime, treason… I think the West Philippine Sea issue can be a more politically potent point, not only in the coming elections, but also for the administration,” he said.

Alma Salvador, a political science professor at the Ateneo de Manila University, echoed the sentiment, saying: “If all candidates both at the national and subnational levels