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South China Sea, offshore gaming may be ‘rally-around-flag’ issues for Philippine election
- Filipinos have historically prioritised livelihood issues ahead of the polls, but that may change with a wider narrative adopted by the administration
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As the Philippines inches closer to its 2025 midterm election, its stance on the South China Sea dispute and offshore gaming operators (Pogos) could swing the vote if the government can link this to “gut issues” such as rising inflation, poverty and corruption in a “rally-around-the-flag” effect.
Observers point to reactions to President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) last week, during which his pronouncements on the country’s stance on the West Philippine Sea – Manila’s term for its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea – and ban on Pogos received rousing applause.
“We’re going to see, I think, for the first time in recent memory, the West Philippine Sea and foreign policy becoming [some of the top] issues that will define upcoming elections,” Manila-based political analyst Richard Heydarian said at a forum last Wednesday, calling the country’s maritime row with Beijing “emotionally charged”.
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The Philippines and China are locked in a months-long territorial dispute in the South China Sea, with clashes between vessels from both sides becoming increasingly violent.
While recent surveys point to Filipinos being more concerned about domestic issues in the lead-up to elections, Heydarian, speaking at a post-SONA forum, warned the lack of urgency by the public on such stances did not mean locals did not care about the topic.
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