Geopolitical analyst and Commentator Herman Tiu Laurel on Friday warned that the Philippines’ escalating corruption crisis is intertwined with a larger geopolitical conflict between what he calls the “unipolar” Western-led world order and a rising “multipolar” system championed by China. Speaking at a forum of the Asian Century Philippine Strategic Studies Institute, Laurel said the issue goes beyond domestic graft and reflects deep foreign influence shaping Philippine politics and institutions.
Laurel criticized recent protest movements—referred to as the “Peso March” or “Bahak sa Luneta”—for positioning themselves as anti-corruption while avoiding direct calls for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s resignation. He described this stance as an “anomaly,” alleging that systemic corruption cannot be separated from leadership and foreign alignments. He also claimed the country is seeing severe social impacts, including reported cases of people “hanging themselves from hunger,” which he attributed to worsening governance failures.
US Influence and the 2023 Turning Point
According to Laurel, the resurgence of corruption beginning in 2023 coincided with the expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), when Marcos granted access to four additional U.S. military sites in the country. He noted that this move contradicted Marcos’ earlier policy positions and the anti-EDCA stance of former senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.
Laurel argued that increased U.S. involvement brought intensified anti-China narratives within Philippine institutions, amplified by the America COMPETES Act of 2022, which funds anti-China initiatives abroad. He alleged that legislators, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Philippine Coast Guard became instruments of Western geopolitical interests, particularly in the South China Sea.
Parallel With Ukraine
The commentator drew comparisons between the Philippines and Ukraine, claiming both became targets of Western-backed political engineering that led to internal upheaval and heightened corruption. He cited Ukraine’s status since 2015 as “the most corrupt nation in Europe” and warned that the Philippines risks becoming “the most corrupt nation in Asia,” mirroring Ukraine’s path to conflict and external dependency.
Laurel also cited a recent corruption controversy in Ukraine’s energy industry as evidence of how Western-backed states suffer governance breakdowns while being positioned as proxy fronts in geopolitical rivalry.
China’s Four Global Initiatives Presented as an Alternative
In contrast to what he described as Western-instigated instability, Laurel highlighted China’s four major global initiatives as pathways to peace and development:
- Global Development Initiative (GDI) – promoting infrastructure, poverty reduction, and implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda. Laurel noted that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has already invested an estimated US$1.175 trillion in more than 150 countries.
- Global Security Initiative (GSI) – advocating collective security, rejection of hegemony, and respect for the UN Charter.
- Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) – promoting respect for cultural diversity and countering “clash of civilizations” narratives.
- Global Governance Initiative – emphasizing sovereign equality, rule of law under the UN, multilateralism, people-centered development, and pragmatic cooperation.
Laurel argued these frameworks provide the conceptual and practical foundation for a stable, equitable multipolar world order—one that can replace what he calls the “chaos” of the U.S.-led unipolar system.
Warning Against War Escalation
Laurel expressed alarm over growing calls among Philippine public figures to acquire nuclear-capable weapons for defense, saying such proposals push the country closer to serving as a regional battleground. Citing nuclear escalation trends and constitutional prohibitions on nuclear weapons, he asserted that U.S. allies in the Philippines are acting as “proxies” driving the nation into conflict.
He also referenced global data showing that wealthy Western nations have extracted an estimated US$152 trillion from the Global South since 1960, arguing that this long-term economic exploitation underscores the need for a new global order.
Call for Independent Foreign Policy
As he concluded, Laurel urged Filipinos to recognize the link between domestic instability and external intervention. He appealed for the rejection of unilateralism, the restoration of an independent foreign policy, and the alignment of the Philippines with multipolar initiatives that promote development and peace.
The forum ended without a question-and-answer portion due to time constraints.#
