The Philippines Confronts a Post‐American World: Geopolitical‐Domestic‐Institutional Intersections

Abstract

In ASEAN, no state's development has been as deeply affected by the United States and its policies as the Philippines, where colonial legacies have left lasting marks on its political institutions and security orientation. Today, uncertainties about the future role of the United States underscore questions about adopting any strategy that overly or exclusively relies on the United States. Moreover, new President Rodrigo Duterte has created uncertainties of his own by reversing the very U.S.-oriented strategy pursued by his predecessor, Aquino. This confluence suggests impending shifts in the national security orientation of each country and a potential turning point in U.S.-Philippine relations. As this Special Issue of APP makes clear, however, for a variety of material, geopolitical, institutional, and domestic reasons, the U.S. alliance is likely to remain an important Philippine foreign policy priority, but changing strategic trends also compel ongoing recalibrations.