Despite the persistent defeatist propaganda being regurgitated by the treacherous talking heads and influencers of the Duterte camp, the Philippines is slowly emerging as a significant Southeast Asian military power. The only thing for the Philippines to do is for Filipinos to realize that we are not anymore the weak man of Asia.

The other day, there was one positive development in efforts to rationalize anti-scam efforts: Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda said in a DZMM talk show that his department is adopting the Scam Watch Pilipinas Anti-Scam Quad Model as the national anti-scam education and awareness strategy.

COMMENTARY: It's high time for the president and our legislators to consider a Department of Maritime and Ocean Affairs built around the existing Presidential Office for Maritime Concerns. This would then become the lead agency for maritime security, maritime domain awareness, and compliance with UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award, and for the formulation of integrated maritime policies covering security, environment, fisheries, shipping, and ports.