‘What ties these conflicts together is not geography but strategy. In Pyongyang, Moscow, and Beijing, strongmen push boundaries with the same bet: that the world is too distracted, too divided, too tired to push back.’
WHILE the world fixates on the firestorm between Israel and Iran, other flashpoints quietly smolder — and for the Philippines, that silence is anything but safe.
From Yongbyon to Kyiv to the West Philippine Sea, the global order isn’t just fraying — it’s shifting beneath our feet. The question is no longer whether conflict will escalate, but where — and how we’ll be affected when it does.
North Korea may have faded from headlines, but its centrifuges are spinning faster than ever. New satellite imagery confirms fresh construction at Yongbyon, mirroring the activity at the suspected Kangson site. Analysts warn Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal — now estimated at 50 warheads — may be growing.
Kim Jong Un has shed any pretense of détente. His rhetoric revolves solely around deterrence, directing fury at “hostile” coalitions including the US, Japan, and South Korea — cementing North Korea’s status as a nuclear-armed pariah.
Thousands of kilometers away, Russia’s war in Ukraine grinds on. A June 19 airstrike killed at least 28 in Kyiv — just one episode in a war estimated to have caused hundreds of thousands of casualties and displaced millions more. Days later, a “mass missile and drone attack” on June 23 unleashed 368 aerial weapons, killing nine and injuring 33, including four children. Residential areas, hospitals, and sports facilities were among the targets. A fleeting prisoner swap sparked hope, quickly drowned by fresh bloodshed.
Russia demands territory. Ukraine resists. Talks flicker in Istanbul. But peace remains a distant echo.
These crises span continents — yet they trace the same arc: where force flouts norms and silence fuels the unraveling of global stability.
Back in our backyard, Chinese incursions escalate with chilling precision.
On June 19, 2025, the Philippine Coast Guard confirmed that over 50 Chinese Maritime Militia vessels were swarming near Rozul Reef — well within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The PCG dispatched ships and aircraft to assert presence. No response came. The swarming began two days earlier, on June 17.
Then on June 20, a China Coast Guard ship blasted a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel, BRP Datu Tamadapit, with a water cannon near Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal as it delivered supplies to Filipino fisherfolk. Another BFAR ship was also targeted but not struck.
Chinese vessels have shadowed Philippine missions across the West Philippine Sea — including “payao” deployments off Palawan and even Navy patrols near Panata Shoal.
These actions are not random. They follow a pattern: persistent, defiant, and systemic.
This is no misunderstanding. China is methodically reshaping the status quo, blurring red lines until what was once illegal becomes normalized. And Manila’s protests, fired off into the diplomatic void, feel increasingly toothless.
This isn’t just about maritime law or fish stocks and how rich the West Philippine Sea may be. It’s about our sovereignty — our right to defend what is ours, and to be taken seriously when we do.
As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the 79th UN General Assembly: “Because if you can’t defend yourself, you can’t exist. Not in our neighborhood, certainly. And maybe not in yours.”
For nations like the Philippines, the sentiment rings ominously true.
In this world of shifting fault lines, diplomacy becomes a high-wire act — asserting sovereignty while managing trade, alliances, and growing tension. One misstep risks escalation. But silence risks irrelevance. This is no longer a choice between war and peace, but between presence and submission.
What links these flashpoints is not geography but strategy. In Pyongyang, Moscow, and Beijing, strongmen test the world’s will, betting it’s too fractured, too weary, too distracted to resist.
Too often, they’re right.
But for us Filipinos, this isn’t cause for panic. It’s a call to pay attention. Silence won’t shield us. Distance won’t spare us. These threats are real, and they are near.
Still, we are not without resolve. We’ve weathered storms before — with diplomacy, vigilance, and the quiet grit of a people who know when to stand their ground.
History tells us we are not mere spectators. We are a nation that has resisted colonizers, rebuilt from ruin, and defended our dignity. That spirit must guide us now.
The imperative is clear: protect our territory, amplify our voice on the world stage, and forge alliances that uphold — not auction — our national interest.
In an age when the powerful redraw borders with warships and drones, we cannot afford to watch from the sidelines. We’ve seen what happens when we look away.
Because when red lines are crossed and we choose silence, we risk waking up on the wrong side of history.
Now is the time to look hard — and speak louder.
