By Adolfo Quizon Paglinawan

 

Part 2: An old order gives way to a new one, reshaping global geopolitics

On top of political diplomacy and consular services, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) functions with economic and cultural diplomacy forming critical components of its mandate.

I know this by heart because I served this prestigious institution for seven years in one of our hardest moments in our history following the People Power Revolution.  

It leverages to enhance our international presence as the ‘public face’ of Philippine competitiveness offering maximum potential for trade, investment, tourism, job and commercial opportunities. In this regard, it reinforces the Department of Trade and Industry’s government-to-government (G2G) role with business-to business (B2B) functions.

Significantly, the DFA also acts as our ‘public face’ increasing global understanding of Philippine culture and enhance the national image. This involves our embassies and consulates abroad with people-to-people (P2P) engagements, which they allow under the principle of reciprocity, a relationship in which two countries agree to do something similar for each other.

DFA’s Office of Cultural Diplomacy and our foreign posts organize cultural exhibitions, performances, film screenings, and food-related events to showcase Philippine heritage.

• Cultural Diplomacy as Soft Power: The DFA uses cultural activities to build trust and strengthen bilateral ties, moving beyond political or economic negotiations.
• Philippine Studies Program: The DFA supports the integration of Philippine studies into academic frameworks at universities worldwide, encouraging exchanges, research, teaching, and public engagement with Filipino history and culture.
• Diaspora Engagement: The DFA promotes cultural pride among Filipinos overseas, mobilizing them as ambassadors of Philippine culture, which in turn strengthens their connection to the Philippines.
• Institutional Partnerships: The DFA works with organizations like the UNESCO to promote cultural rights and preserve cultural heritage.

Here we see how DFA’s economic and cultural functions often intersect to advance the nation’s interests, for instance creatively using culinary diplomacy to boost local agricultural exports, or leveraging tourism promotion through cultural festivals. Both pillars are crucial for transforming the Philippines into a proactive, recognized global actor. This goes vice-versa with states where we have open diplomatic relations.

Only nincompoops confine diplomacy to political and security matters in modern society.

This why after almost three years of an undeclared embargo by the Marcos administration of our proactive relations with China to favor American neo-colonial influence, albeit almost too late, we have recently seen the DFA teaming up with the Departments of Trade, Tourism and Migrant Workers move aggressively in the people-people aspect of their work in activating the E-visa system and issuance of two-weeks No Visa entries for Chinese tourists into the country.

First signs of sabotage

But this seems to not have settled well with Philippine Coast Guard Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, who issued this statement in his Facebook page that merits some content analysis.

“If the People’s Republic of China is engaging in espionage against our defense establishments, it is reasonable to assume they could extend similar influence operations to our civilian agencies. Therefore, we must take an extra careful look at sister city partnerships, Confucius Institutes, media delegations invited to China, and even academic exchanges.”

First allow me to say that Tarriela is not basing his tantrums from facts. He starts with an ‘if’, and from that conditional mood draws a conclusion that ‘it is reasonable to assume’. What a distorted mind this newly promoted officer has and from that point, he advocates ‘paranoia’ as the new normal – “that therefore we must take extra precaution…” at the people-to-people initiatives of a foreign country.

This is precisely why I have long resigned that Tarriela’s bias was not borne of ignorance but reeks of a chronic mental health issue. This resonates from the time he was caught cheating in a final exam at the Philippine Military Academy, found to have violated the institution’s honor code, and forced to seek graduation instead from an obscure Fisher Valley College in Taguig, Rizal. 

This is a government functionary who has expressed no qualms about the US Department of Homeland Security and the US Embassy virtually taking over the Philippine Coast Guard, the US Department of War running our Armed Forces of the Philippines and US intelligence and US proxy foundations like the Defense Intelligence Agency and National Endowment for Democracy and Omidyar Network and Open Society Foundations taking over our media organizations like Rappler, Vera Files, The Philippine Center for investigative Journalism, Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility and MindaNews.

Tarriela sees nothing evil or discordant in those.

So in his X post, he picks up images from an Africa-China P2P Dialogue and applies it to the Philippines, again using the conditional ‘may be’ and mentions its ‘United Front Work’ operations.

“The United Front Work may well be operating in full swing within our country, advancing these covert agendas. It serves as a key mechanism for extending Beijing’s influence abroad, coordinating efforts to co-opt elites, diaspora communities, and various sectors to align with China’s strategic interests. I would argue that the People’s Republic of China’s ‘people-to-people engagement’  serves as one of the most effective entry points for initiating United Front Work operations.”

A material for African application copied from Tarriela’s X post. Discussed further below, Raymond Powell has also used the term ‘United Front Work’ in lecturing Secretary Angara on how to run  his department. ‘Ilong’ Ranger and Tonto just shifted improvised Sinophobia dynamics from transparency to espionage.

His psychosis proceeds to redefine diplomacy: “This approach provides an opening to cultivate relationships with politicians, establish contacts among the elite, entice bureaucrats, and—once personal bonds are solidified—unhesitatingly deploy financial incentives to secure their support in advancing PRC interests. In my view, this strategy has proven particularly successful with certain Philippine politicians, Pro China academics, media personalities and social media influencers.”

Ano’s musings

Appearing with Tarriela on the same forum sponsored by Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute last March 6, National Security Adviser Secretary Eduardo Año echoed the rear admiral’s delusions, as he announced the arrest of a Mongolian national who enrolled as an aviation student at Iba, Zambales.

The NSA alleged the Mongolian was arrested for concealing his military background and service with the People’s Liberation Army: “Such non-disclosure constitutes a serious violation of Philippine immigration laws” and the arrest came  after the Bureau of Immigration tagged him as an “undesirable alien for posing a risk to public interest and safety”.

What gave Año away was when he said the Mongolian’s “presence and actions in Zambales near vital military locations are clearly inconsistent with his purpose of stay in the country.” The foreigner student allegedly took aerial photos of the Iba airport and the nearby Palauig River area, approximately five nautical miles from the airport.

First of all, the person obviously came to the Philippines in response to our student tourism promotions – that was his purpose of stay as a student and as a tourist.

Secondly, it is interesting to note that the nearest military base to his location may be in the same province but Subic Bay is 70 kilometers from Subic Bay. That is not at all near, in fact it is far – a clear two-hour ride

There is nothing there but a 900-meter long and 30-meter wide surface runway designed for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) meaning the absence of any electronic equipment, and two flying schools.

All-Asia Aviation Academy is  located at Iba Municipal Airport and actively promotes its flight training programs, which include courses for private pilots, commercial pilots, and instructors. Sabb Aviation School offers maintenance and training-to-license programs.

There is no military presence nor commercial activity there.

Therefore, I find it perfectly normative for an aviation student to take pictures of the airport, even aerial shots, as that is directly in line with the interests of an aviation student in the same locality.

Thirdly, there is also no Palauig River but Bagsit River in the municipality of Palauig municipality, renowned for its strikingly clear, turquoise waters and, in some areas, a distinct, vivid green hue, surrounded by lush scenery. It is situated in a relatively secluded area in Dampay-Salaza, making it a ‘hidden gem’ destination for nature lovers. It is also popular spot for dipping, river trekking, and camping, often paired with visits to the nearby Mount Tapulao.

Secretary Año must explain why tourists cannot take aerial photos of the Iba municipal airport and Bagsit River. How crude of an intelligence officer to photo bomb a great tourist spot! Imagine going there and seeing a big sign: “No photos allowed!”

This faux pas also recalls our security community alleging there were  5,000 thousand Chinese college students in Cagayan province in 2024. When The Commission on Higher Education investigated the claimed, it turned out that the true number was only 400 and that most of them were hybrid – online enrollees who only came to Tuguegarao from China for limitedly required face-to-face sessions and defense of their term papers.

Año, the country’s chief spy must be hallucinating. What is criminal about student tourists taking pictures of nature?

The national security adviser even unnecessarily disclosed that the Marcos government has organized an “Insider Threat Program”, a coordinated effort among intelligence agencies and key government departments to ensure that authorities would ensure espionage efforts “will not be in vain”.

The questions is – are we really serious about opening tourism for China or are we just setting up Chinese visitors for false flags?

Embassy disclaimer

Expectedly, the Chinese embassy in Manila denied allegations that individuals linked to China were involved in espionage and foreign-directed malign activities in the Philippines, debunking Ano’s disinformation.

In a statement, embassy spokesperson Ji Lingpeng said Beijing  “firmly oppose and strongly deplore irresponsible remarks made by certain Philippine agencies peddling so-called ‘Chinese spy’ narratives. China follows the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs. Such accusations are malicious smears against China and yet another attempt to hype up the so-called “China threat” rhetoric.”

For some time, Ji said the Philippines has fabricated a series of so-called ‘Chinese spy’ cases based on far-fetched allegations. This is a typical act of ill-intentioned association and politically motivated presumption of guilt in the absence of detailed information on the case and clear evidence. We firmly reject such practices.

He cited the recent case involving Mongolian national was telling. The person was arrested only for it to be later clarified that the individual had no affiliation with China whatsoever, which fully demonstrates that rushing to judgment before the facts are fully ascertained is fundamentally flawed and runs counter to the basic principles of objectivity and fairness.

Ji reminded the public that mutual respect is the foundation of China-Philippines relations: “If certain individuals or agencies in the Philippines persist in hyping up anti-China sentiments and recklessly targeting anything related to China, it will only undermine the atmosphere of cooperation and ultimately backfire.”

Finally, the spokesman urged the relevant Philippine agencies to stop shadow-chasing and making groundless accusations and refrain from using so-called espionage claims as a pretext to disrupt normal people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and undermine the bilateral relations.

Echo chamber

Ramond Powell was quick to reinforce Tarriela and Año’s script.

The former US air force colonel who is now an overt agent of the US Defense Intelligence Agency made a fantastic release that Filipino students have been ‘lured’ to join anti-Japan essay contest.

Powell said that local public-school children were recruited into a Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-linked propaganda campaign in October last year. As to how the CCP was implicated here amazes me.

“This is how influence operations work,” said Ray Powell, executive director of the California-based SeaLight Foundation. Students and their parents had no idea they were participating in a foreign state’s geopolitical messaging. A contest that looked like peace education was actually a carefully orchestrated propaganda exercise.”

This American spy attacked the Philippine Department of Education National Capital Region office for circulating Regional Letter 107, series of 2025, inviting schools to participate in the contest commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory over Imperial Japan.

Powell accused a local NGO, Philippine Chinese Education Research Center and its president James Wang,  as presenting the contest as a way to “remember history, cherish peace, and uphold the spirit of solidarity between the peoples of the Philippines and China.”

Powell also irresponsibly asserted that “Wang’s group has admitted to close collaboration with Chinese state agencies, including the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture, and the United Front Work Department”, but presented no proof.

“This was not merely a school competition,” he complained “It was a carefully orchestrated operation to use minors in Manila as props for a foreign state’s geopolitical agenda — all under the guise of educational activity.”

The former American pilot even incited reprisals: “Parents and educators must know who is behind programs affecting children,” he added. “Foreign governments should not be allowed to hide behind civic groups to recruit minors into political messaging.”

Why is Raymond Powell, an undesirable alien who has been interfering in Philippine internal affairs, most suspiciously security matters, not being arrested?

If his foreign Sealight and Gordian Knot has operated scot-free, what right does an American have to harass a Filipino NGO, the Philippine Chinese Education Research Center for staging an essay contest inside the Philippines?

Powell must also explain why the Filipinos should not be commemorating the end of World War II where 1 million Filipinos died during the Japanese occupation, and why Japan’s interests should supersede that of the Philippines?

For his continuing education, the Sangleys staged their own rebellion against Spaniards in the Philippines a good century before the Katipunan. Obviously, Powell is ignorant that Chinese nationals fought side by side Filipinos against Spanish, American and Japanese imperialism.

The Wha-Chi (48th Squadron), formed in 1942 to fight the Japanese occupation, operating mainly in Central and Southern Luzon, worked alongside Hukbalahap and Filipino guerrillas, launching over 200 raids, killed more than 2,000 Japanese soldiers, and played a significant role in the liberation of the Philippines.

Just what about Japan is he hurting? Proxying for Japanese counter-causes when Japan has revived its militarism is against Filipino national interests. What the NSA should investigate is whether Japanese funding has coupled the with funds Powell gets from the America Competes Act and the US military for his in-country operations.

We are also calling the attention of Secretaries Maria Teresa Lazaro and Edgardo Angara to this foreign meddling. It is now overdue to put an end to the false starts and escalation that Tarriela and Powell organized in the South China Sea to kill diplomacy. From insulting the foreign service of this country, they are now worming their way into other Philippine government agencies to sow intrigues crying about spy ‘wolves’.

DIA overt agent Powell has violated the Revised Penal Code Article 118 – exposing Filipinos to reprisal in times of peace. He should be handcuffed and deported as soon as possible.

Conclusion

I would like to borrow some words from my lawyer Rafael Tuvera, who wrote an op-ed in the Asian Century Journal lately, citing Senator Panfilo Lacson’s statements during ongoing Senate discussions about the “West Philippine Sea”.

The senator said, “In geopolitics, the most common sources of information are technical intelligence and homegrown traitors who are willing to sell their country in exchange for what’s in it for them. In intelligence operations, it is called ‘recruitment in place’.”

Instead of responding with facts, policy arguments, or evidence, Lacson issued a broad warning about unnamed Filipinos prepared to betray the nation for personal gain. He named no one, provided no proof, and simply cast suspicion over anyone who might disagree.

This approach recalls Joseph R. McCarthy who served as a United States Senator in the 1950s. During the height of the Cold War, he claimed that communists had deeply infiltrated American government offices, the military, and other areas. He conducted public hearings where he presented lists of alleged spies and traitors. He accused many people, frequently with little or no solid evidence.

Careers ended, reputations destroyed, and lives were upended based on rumors and loose associations and McCarthy’s campaign turned into what people called a witch hunt.

It spread fear and division. McCarthy enjoyed media attention and political influence for a while. Finally, in 1954, however, the US Senate censured him for conduct unbecoming a senator. He died soon after, remembered now not as a protector of the country but as a fearmonger who relied on baseless claims to attack opponents.

Senator Lacson mirrors that pattern. In the Cold War era, McCarthy and similar figures used “communist traitor” labels to intensify opposition to the Soviet Union and support confrontation.

I sincerely agree with Tuvera’s reincarnation of Mac Carthyism but I would like to dismiss these farts from Tarriela, Ano and Powell as sheer demagoguery by dilletantes who wants to gain power and support by appealing to the emotions, prejudices, fears, and ignorance of the common people rather than using rational argument.

They often exploit societal divisions, promise unrealistic solutions, and use passionate, manipulative rhetoric to whip up crowd hysteria and bypass established democratic norms.

Demagoguery is rampant and pervades today’s Philippine skies,  ever since we accidentally elected a weak, incompetent and utterly corrupt president.

Next part: The yarn that EDCA are not US bases and that the AFP has control over what happens inside those facilities

   

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