I hope you're right, but I don't fully trust your country's military, it's leadership who's tradition and culture is steeped under the American influence from the word go. The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) the premiere school and only school for any would be officers in the Philippine Military and if am not mistaken the Philippine National Police (PNP) itself was patterned after America's own United States Military Academy at West Point (USMA). Where every promising leader(s) are sent in the U.S. where they are further groomed and marked for advancements among other things that essentially advances American interests intertwined with Philippine interest. The hazing which the PMA is infamous for is again patterned after West Point. The political class of that country, most of which are overwhelmingly "lawyers" are educated under the American style and system and you know this better than I am.The military will follow what the civilian authority order them to do, this was exemplify under Duterte administration, in a way he save the oligarchy class because the Philippine is ripe for a violent revolution. He had tempered their greed and there is NO coup as the military who wished for a strong leadership had found one under him. So he is our ideal leader BUT unfortunately he is too old and six years is not enough to implement all of his reform especially with the pandemic.![]()
Most of the country's leadership from the political, academic, business, opposition party or not have a foot in America, knows a family member in America, have someone that is an American citizen etc...so it's virtually impossible for the Philippines not to be enamored with all things America.
The only way for the Philippines to have it's come to jesus moment is if it witnessed American military might collapses violently against Chinese PLA might. Let's be honest with ourselves, the PLA is not feared in your country, you can see this by how dismissive the chattering political/media class in your country. I watched Philippine news here and there in both languages (Tagalog, English, Cebuano/bisaya) to gauge your country's sense of direction as well as various social media sites like Twitter, and Facebook (Meta) where the penetration of that app in the Philippines is like 98 percent if am not mistaken. Any news that is negative towards China no matter how infantile and clearly fake news are littered with Filipinos believing the worst and not even asking any critical questions or looking for other sources that could easily dispel the garbage they're seeing. On another hand, any news that pertains to America can quickly gather positive news, likes, comments. The ratio clearly favours American image and for understandable for historical reason.
I love the Philippines, but majority of the people there are deeply entrenched with American prism or anything that is white/western, Japanese, S.Korean are seen in a very positive light. Chinese from China not so much and that's the honest truth at least based on my experience from interacting with Filipinos here in Canada, my visits in the Philippines from Manila to Cebu as well as the opinions of my classmates that are now in other countries like Australia, U.S. and most that are in the Philippines.