IT'S A UNIPOLAR WORLD:

[A]s the Filipino populist enters his twilight months in office, Philippine-US military cooperation seems stronger than ever while Duterte's years-long strategic flirtation with both Russia and China has produced more disappointment than concrete achievements.

In the coming days, the Philippines and US are set to conduct their largest "Balikatan" (shoulder-to-shoulder) joint military drills in recent memory. Close to 9,000 troops from both the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the US military are set to conduct war games from March 28 to April 8 in the northern island of Luzon, the seat of power and economic hub of the Philippines.

If anything, this year is expected to see the AFP conducting more than 300 joint military activities with its American counterparts, more than any other ally or strategic partner in the entire Indo-Pacific. Ahead of the May 9, 2022, presidential election, the Pentagon and the Philippine defense establishment seem intent on setting the tone for robust military cooperation under whoever becomes the next Filipino president. 

The US Embassy in Manila, which has been bereft of an ambassador throughout the pandemic, billed the forthcoming exercises as the "largest-ever iteration" of the joint military exercises as the two allies celebrate the 75th anniversary of US-Philippine security cooperation.

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