Illustration:Liu Rui/GT

As tensions in the South China Sea persist, the Philippines is once again showcasing its two-faced strategy of "saying one thing and doing another." As Manila appears to treat peace as a bargaining chip and provocation as routine behavior, one has to question its political calculations and sincerity in seeking peace.

Earlier this week, messages from Manila regarding the South China Sea sounded rather peaceful. On Sunday, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo stated at the recent ASEAN summit in Malaysia that the Philippines is willing to explore "any additional agreements with Beijing that can help maintain peace in the South China Sea," as Reuters reported. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr also urged ASEAN and China on Monday to accelerate negotiations on a legally binding Code of Conduct to "prevent miscalculations at sea." Ironically, as Manila made these seemingly peace-seeking remarks, its actions tell another story: The KAMANDAG 9 joint military exercise, featuring forces from the US, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea and the UK, kicked off on Monday. This comes less than 20 days after the conclusion of the recent US-Philippines Balikatan 2025 drills.

Notably both exercises involve the NMESIS missile system. Newsweek reported on Tuesday that this ground-based anti-ship missile system, capable of striking targets up to 185 kilometers away, has already been airlifted to the Philippines' northern Batanes Islands, placing strategic choke points such as the Bashi Channel and Luzon Strait within range - and even threatening the southern routes to the island of Taiwan. Unlike the Balikatan 2025 drills, where NMESIS was not live-fired, this time a live-fire test is planned "if the weather permits," according to a Philippine military official. Such a deployment is a clearly an offensive move.

It is hard to believe that the Philippines doesn't understand the implications of such moves on its relationship with China. If the diplomatic rhetoric of calling for peace represents public posturing, then these live-fire drills and missile deployments are blatant provocations. To put it plainly: Manila has never been a "victim" or a "passive actor" in the South China Sea; it has acted as an active instigator of friction and escalation.

At the same time, according to Newsweek, a Filipino civilian group under the banner of "peace" launched a voyage toward Zhongye Dao with over 150 volunteers aboard, claiming they want to "send a message of peace and unity" to China. While the operation is being framed as a civilian initiative, the Philippine Coast Guard escorted the vessel with two ships, while a surveillance aircraft was sent to provide air support. This fully exposes Manila's playbook of "gray zone" tactics: pushing civilians to the front lines of disputes to provoke and shape global public opinion, while the government pretends to stay above the fray.

The Philippines' duplicity on the South China Sea issue has become almost farcical. On one hand, it chants slogans like "peace" and "dialogue." On the other, it stokes tensions in disputed waters and disguises confrontational moves as peaceful gestures. Manila believes that clinging to Washington allows it to reap "dividends" without taking on real risk. But it overlooks a fundamental truth: The US is not going to fight a war for the Philippines, and it certainly won't foot the bill for the Southeast Asian country's political gamble.

Peace in the South China Sea is not a slogan, nor a game of opportunism. If the Philippines truly wants peace, has it ever considered halting its provocative military drills with other countries and ceasing to play tricks to grab more reefs and islands in South China Sea? The South China Sea doesn't need performative peace gestures; it needs consistency and credibility rather than a duplicitous script in which words promise peace but actions provoke conflict.