China’s Warns the Philippines! Find out why!!!

Friends, my name is David Oualaalou. So good to be with you. Coming live to you from near Ukraine. That's where I am currently. I will be here for a while, and I'm gonna be going to some other parts of the world without disclosing the locations for now. So anyway, so excited to be with you. Uh, please guys, if you can give me a thumbs up if you can hear me, because the internet connections and the sounds and all that. If you would be kind and just, uh, give me a thumbs up so I know that you can hear me. So Uh, like I always say, so excited. Yeah, you know, I'm near Ukraine here, so there is a reason why I wanted to come here, because I needed to check certain facts myself. And I wanted just to— as you all know, this channel is about credibility, so I'm not coming on behalf of anybody else. Nobody's funding my trip. I'm paying for it myself. So I just want you to know what I am— thank you guys, I can see that one here. So, uh, you can tell I'm staying in Airbnb here, so just passing through here for a few days, weeks, whatever that time frame. And as I said, I will be going to another location in the different parts of the world. I'll connect with you from that part when the time comes. So, well, first let me, let me get on, uh, like we always do, follow our routine here. I want to thank all the channel's members, supporters. I can't thank you enough, but I want to give a shout out to the 3 new members. I want to call— I will give a shout out to Alfred White as a member. Thank you very much, Alfred, for your support. It means a lot. I want to also give a shout out to Filippo H, a supporter. Thank you very much. And also Kenneth Wong, thank you so much for your support. It means a lot to me. And speaking of members, we are about 29 members so far. So, but I did promise you one thing, that once we reach 100 members, I'm gonna go ahead and do a Q&A session with you. Doesn't matter, doesn't matter what part of the world I'm in. If we can reach the, the 100 members next week, I will rearrange my schedule here near Ukraine and set up time for your Q&A. So that's what I'm going to do. So, so today's topic, you know what, I'm— even though I am near Ukraine here, I'm in Poland, uh, I am not going to be talking about Ukraine. I'm not going to be talking about Poland. I'm going to be talking about China's warning to Philippines, you know. And the question that I'm gonna ask you first, as to think about, as we always do, we get involved in a conversation here: is China overreacting Or does Manila ties to the US are a threat to China? That's something to think about. This is what I'm going to be trying to answer in this conversation. There is one more question we need to consider also: how this event, this developments that's going on right now, will shape the security issues in Asia? Because I can see a lot of challenges coming up in Asia from a security perspective. When I say security, I'm referring to the geopolitical landscape. So, but before we delve into this, let's do our tour around the world like we always do. So, uh, oh, let me say thank you to, uh, KL. Thank you so much for your super sticker, truly appreciate it. It is so weird, guys, to see this from— I'm right here near Ukraine and all of a sudden they're connecting with you directly. So it's, it's so nice to see this. So, uh, as I said, the tour around the world, we're going to start with a specific item here. Let me, let me get on the, uh, where is it? Right here. I want to show you this one here, guys. This image here. Okay, let me get it here. This one has to do with, uh, rare metals, you know. Now the question you need to ask yourself is, China is going to weaponize these rare metals? It's like the US weaponizing the dollar, the Saudis weaponizing the oil. Is China will do this? The reason why am I saying this, I'm saying this because the US— yeah, get this, guys— the US relies on rare earth metals produced in China. For about 80%. Yeah, it's no, it's no small matter. The EU, uh, and the problem for the EU, for example, is also far greater than the US. Why? Because the EU imports about 98% of it from China. So you can just see how, how interesting. So I just— because it's not covered in the media, that is the reason why I wanted to share this with you. And the reason also you want to see this is because you have to tie it to gold. Why is this important? Is the upcoming currency for BRICS, which is going to be depending mainly on gold and a tangible asset like rare earth mineral. There's this picture here, this guy. Now this guy is the CEO of Uber. His name is Dara Khosrowshahi. You know, and what he did was he drove his delivery car— that's the CEO— the reason why, to find out why the company is having trouble attracting more drivers. He was surprised to discover the scale of the problems that, uh, Ubers are facing. So I find it very, very interesting, and he's very active into getting into this. The third one is— I want to share with you is this one here. This is very, very important. I want you— let me, let me, uh, move this one here. Where is KL? Right there. Yeah, the, uh, the third picture is here. I'm sorry, is this one here. And this one has to do with the meeting, the meeting of the foreign ministers of Afghanistan Russia, Iran, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, you know, which they met, uh, actually they met on Thursday. So in Samarkand, I used to go to, uh, Uzbekistan back then when I was working in, in the US government or in support of the US government. So I would always cross through Samarkand. It's a, it's a nice place. So, so here's the thing, and the reason for this is And I remember mentioning this to you guys, that Euro-Asia is going to be a very, very, very crucial, uh, area that's gonna really reshape the geopolitical trajectory moving forward. So, and the last thing I want to share with you, it has to do with none other than President of Brazil Lula, who just— he's still in Brazil— he's still in China, rather. And, uh, And speaking of that, I'm gonna be doing a video for you guys because I have an assessment I need to share with you. You need to know, suffice it to say right now that Lula is calling on the developing countries— when I say developing, I'm referring to the entire Global South— to abandon the US dollar in international trade in favor of their national currencies. I find it very, very interesting. So, and the last thing I'll share with you has to do with the health segment, as we always do. Then I'll dive in into— well, today I want to talk to you about this particular spice. You know, it's very known in Asia, mainly Middle East, India, and so forth. I mean, it's known a little bit in the US, but most, most of us Westerners do not know much about. I had to educate myself about turmeric. So why turmeric is important because it's spice that comes from the root of the curcuma, which is a sort of a longer plant. It's, uh, perennial into the ginger family. That is why it's very, very important. And it has very active ingredients chemically, naturally, that is very ingredient, a very, uh, active ingredient called curcumin. Curcumin is both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This is why the health benefits of turmeric— it kind of, it lessen, it lessens rather inflammation, improves memory, lessens pain, fights free radicals, and lower risk of heart disease. You know, I use turmeric mainly in my coffee, believe it or not. I I put turmeric in coffee and cinnamon. You can use it also in soup. You can use it, use it in rice, whatever else you are interested in using it. But it's very, very a good one. So, all right, let's dive in into our topic because I'm concerned about the internet connection here. So it's a— I've been, I've been, uh, uh, testing it the entire afternoon to make sure And by the way, it's almost, uh, let me see, what time is it here for me? It's almost like 8:30 PM here in Eastern Europe. So anyway, let's talk about, uh, Philippines and China. So it's very important to understand first of all why China issued the warning, you know. Well, because China argued that deepening the security alliance between the US and Philippines could backfire on Manila. You know, that's because of the South China Sea, the routes in which China depends on regarding its trade. Those are trade routes that they are very, very, very crucial to not just China, to any country in the region or the global economy for that matter. You know, can you just imagine, like, one of the members of the US Congress saying— that was Lindsey Graham saying, well, we got— we can put a blockade on the South China Sea. What the heck is he talking about? Does he understand how China is going to react to that? Because China is going to also issue its own blockade, and before you know it, global economy will shut down. Philippines will suffer so bad. Look no further than Australia right now. And this is why I don't get it when politicians just issue, issue nonsense. This is the reason why I decided to come all the way down here near Ukraine, and I'm debating whether to cross over or not. I'll make that decision in the next few days because enough of lies that we're hearing versus what the reality is, you know. And I will be posting on, on my Twitter account. Just make sure to keep an eye on it for the next few days. I'll be posting some pictures there that you need to know the truth and the facts. And when you hear a, a senator saying, well, we can issue a blockade on the South China Sea, you know, that, that, that, that's pathetic. You don't understand about strategic implications of something like this. And this is why Philippines— now it's almost like I feel the gloves are coming off Philippines is playing both sides. And I'm coming to the conclusion— the conclusion that I'm coming to, guys, is that Philippines was playing China, trying to play China. You know, when Marcos Jr. went to China and got the red carpet treatment, he knew back then what his intentions with the Americans were. You know, that's where I see the danger of that. And playing that kind of politics will not bode well for Philippines. This is why you are having now, uh, and I did find out, check this out guys, you are having now protesters inside Philippines. Yeah, they don't want US military presence anymore. That is very, very important to understand. But before I move forward, there are two things you need to know. First of all, geography, and second is the history, because you can't, uh, do an assessment or an analysis about any location whatsoever without understanding its history. This is one thing that Western audience do not— does not understand, is, for example, with the Ukraine conflict, they don't understand the history of that part of the world when it comes down to how it used to be back then. We're talking about over 100, 200 years and so forth. It's no different for Philippines. You have to understand the geography and you have to understand the, uh, the history of that part of the world. What geography is very important because you need to understand why Philippines is very, very strategic when it comes down to trade, when it comes down to, the global economy, when it comes down to geopolitics, and when it comes down to not only Asia, but global security issues as well. That is why it's very, very important. So, so the geography as observed on the map, you know, uh, on the map there are three main, uh, sort of, uh, regions, if you will. And the three main, uh, islands— I'm sorry, not regions islands of the country includes Luzon, then Mindanao, and also the Visayas, or Visayas, that depends how you pronounce it there. So Philippines has about a coastline of about 36,000+ kilometers, and making it the world's 5th largest coastline. Uh, Philippines is known as the officially Uh, officially is known as the Republic of Philippines, is administratively divided into— get this, guys— 17 regions, 81 provinces, 146 cities, and 1,800— 1,488 municipalities, and 42,000, uh, uh, barangays. Or bargays. That's a Filipino word. So, so it's interesting, uh, uh, how Philippines strategically is located because it's on the Western Pacific Ocean, on the archipelago of the southeast coast of Asia. That's what makes it very, very crucial. And this is why that senator who said, oh, we gotta issue a blockade, on, on, on the South China Sea. Ah, oh, it's so dumb, so stupid, so stupid. So Philippines, with its population, uh, of about, give or take, about 115 million as of 2023— that's an estimate— and the capital is Manila. Filipinos are predominantly of Malay, believe it or not, descent. You know, of course, frequently with the Chinese and sometimes American or Spanish ancestry. Yeah, there is some Spanish because it goes back to the Spaniard when they conquered that part of the world. And languages include the main one, Filipino, okay, and English, which are, by the way, both languages, Filipino and English, are official. So as to the history, well, the US of course exercised the former colonial rule over Philippines, you know. And as most of us Americans— not all, majority— most of us do not know that Philippines was the largest overseas colony between 1899 and 1946. Why 1946? Because that's when Philippines, on July 4th, declared independence from the United States. So American economic and strategic interest in Asia and the Pacific were increasing in the late, uh, 1890s, somewhere around that time. And of course, it didn't happen in a vacuum. It came in the wake of Industrial Depression and in the face of global, uh, uh, inner imperialist competition was taking between the Brits, The Spaniards, the Dutch to a degree, Portuguese to a degree, but the Americans, of course. But the mainly ones were the Spaniards at the time, then the Brits after them. So Spanish— this is why it's important to understand history, because it gives you a track record as to the fact and why countries behave the way they behave. So Spanish colonialism was simultaneously being weakened by revolts in Cuba at the time and the Philippines, on both ends of the world. So, uh, that is why it's important to understand. So the Philippines Revolution of, uh, I think 1890, uh, '95, '96, somewhere around that. It took between 1896 to almost 1897. And what happened to it? It destabilized the Spanish colonialism but failed to remove Spanish colonial rule. You know, the, the Filipinos at the time wants to revolt for their own independence, but they failed. However, the leaders of the revolution in Philippines at that time were exiled to Hong Kong. That's again, you trace the history of why in Hong Kong you're seeing certain type of ethnicities. That's why it's important. So when the United States invaded Cuba and Puerto Rico in 1899— in 1898, to shore up its hegemony in the Caribbean, the US Pacific Squadron at that time was sent to the Philippines to advance US power. This is how we end up colonizing the Philippines. Once again, you have to understand the history to put it within the context of what's going on right now. So, and I'm not going to go throughout all this because that's not the focus on, on this, uh, uh, live stream here, but I just wanted to give you a background historical snapshot to put this in, in perspective and understanding. So fast forward to July 4th, 1946. This is when the Philippines gained independence from the United States. So the 4th of July is used to be considered an important national holiday in Philippines, not because it was the United States' birthday. No, no, no, no, not at all. It was because it was Philippines Independence Day from the United States in 1946. So why is this important for you to know? Because here it is. 75 years later, we're recognizing now Philippines as independent. But look what's going on inside Philippines with the US expansion of military presence. And I'm gonna get into this, of course, to answer your questions— or, uh, that— not your questions, I'm sorry, to answer the, the key talking points that I, uh, uh, introduced to the, the topic on, because that's what it falls under. This is why now you are seeing this image right here. This is why you are seeing now protests in, in Philippines. That's why, because they are not wanting the Philippines to really go back to that era. And I can, I can see why. I can see why. Now, what makes all this important? What prompts me to bring this topic? Of course, I have to think in terms of the geopolitical implications. I have to think in terms of the, the strategic or the security aspect. But there is also another thing that— another aspect, not thing, aspect— that you need to take into consideration. And this one has to do with the current live military exercises taking place in Philippines that include about 18,000— yes, you heard me correct— 18,000 troops from the US, Philippines, and Australia, and conducting live drills, which means using live ammo, you know. And, and the thing, you put this within that context, global context, of course Geopolitically speaking, you are— you, the United States, you, Philippines, you, Australia— conducting these military drills while at the same time on the other end there is the escalations of tensions, uh, between the United States and China over espionage, economic competition, and the war in Ukraine. This is why you have to put this within this context. What makes it even worse, putting my geopolitical analyst hat on, what makes it even worse is that the US just convinced Philippines to grant the United States 4 more military bases. That's part of why the protest is going on in Philippines, which of course we don't hear much about. This is again what prompts me to to travel near, near Ukraine because I need to find out certain facts. And I'm going to be heading out to another parts of the world in another continent without, uh, detailing what are— what's my, uh, what's my travel plans are for security reasons, as you may know. Uh, but this is the reason why you got 4 more— I say 4 more military bases 2 located in the northern province of Kayangan, or Cagayan, I'm sorry, Cagayan, about 250 miles from Taiwan. This is not random stuff. Again, this is where analysis comes in. Just because there is a location 250 miles from Taiwan, what does it mean? But what it means basically that all your short-range or medium-range missiles will be within the distance towards mainland China, because the whole distance between China and the island of Taiwan, it's not that far. You don't need even the medium-range, you need the short-range missiles. So, and again, you look at the ties between Washington and Manila have been growing closer since the inauguration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which I will get into detailing about the history of the family as to how it end up squandering the monetary aspect of the Filipino people. Those are public funds, and I'll get into this in a moment. Let me go check back here on the, on the chat room. If you— where are my reading glasses? I lost my reading glasses. Uh, uh, let me see here. And by the way, guys, make sure to type in where you are joining me from. Just to repeat for those who might not came in earlier, uh, I am joining you live here from near Ukraine. I'm in Poland currently, so that's what I'm doing this live stream from. So, so if you can type in where you are joining me from I will greatly appreciate it, and I will take a look at that. So the idea of, uh, what was I saying? Uh, so the idea of the, uh, how the Philippines, uh, you got now some voices inside Philippines because you— and I did say this before, I don't like to repeat myself too much because I need to bring you new information, new content that you will benefit from in understanding No, but I have to say this one here, uh, uh, that in Philippines, uh, what you see versus what it is when it comes down to governance are two on the opposite ends. Yes, you have a civilian government, in this case, uh, led by Marcos Jr., but also you have the military behind the scenes that is managing the affairs of the government. You know, the decision of the expansion of the 4 bases wasn't done— pardon me— wasn't done by Marcos Jr. He couldn't make that decision. He was forced to make the decision. So it appears that is the president of Philippines that decide, when in reality he was ordered to sign off on that. That is the hard truth. Filipinos, the ones who are protesting, understand that reality, you know. And this was sort of, uh, uh, uh, reflected by none other than— there is an individual by the name of Renato Reyes Jr. He's the Secretary General of Bayan, you know. He said that it's an alliance of leftist groups in Philippines who oppose US militarization. That's how they look at it. And this gentleman said, and I quote here, I found the quote, poor, poor countries like the Philippines will be the biggest losers if the conflict escalates between the US and China, end of quote. And he is right, he hit the nail on the head. Once again, put it within the global context, put put it within what's taking place. 18,000 troops from the US, the Philippines, and Australia are taking part in one of the largest ever military drills that they have held in the South China Sea. Take this with the statement that was a week and a half ago by the US Senator, uh, uh, Lindsey Graham. We need to put— when he said, and I quote, we need— or paraphrase rather, not quote paraphrase, uh, uh, we need to put a blockade on, on, on the South China Sea so prevent China from trading. And again, this is your indication for how you see the, the big picture that is. So, so the military exercises which began, by the way, uh, uh, 3 days ago— I got here a few days ago and I was aware of those. This is what prompts me to talk about this today. So I get it. So those exercises, by the way, it's going to be drag on— dragging on till the end of the month, about 28th of April. That's how long. Those are not your average drills. There is a plan in the place hatched by the US. Philippines is just following orders. It's no different than South Korea, which by the way, and if you guys like me to do live stream for you or a video on it about the leaked information from the leaked classified from the Pentagon in which the US is spying on South Korea and Philippines for that matter. So, and I'd be happy to do it. Just leave me on the chat box if you like me to do live stream or a video on the release of the declassified— not the release, but someone in the Pentagon released that information. So So, and again, you put this within the context of the escalating tensions between China and the US. So live drills, that sends a, a different message altogether. That is what you need to, to understand. I'm not getting into what type of artillery or weapons they use because it's not the— there's no point into that. What's important to understand is how US Secretary of Defense US Secretary of State, okay, Lloyd Austin and Antony Blinken respectively, met with their counterparts in Philippines. Okay, where did they meet? In Manila? No, they met in Washington, which was done quietly, by the way. Once again, that's what prompts me to bring this topic because you need to know the truth. What the media's, uh, representing is not I won't say it's not accurate, it's just not detailed. It's cherry-picking the information. That's what I do. I fill in the gap for you so you'll have that clear picture. So, so when they came into Washington, they issued a joint statement by which agreeing to expand military ties between the US and Philippines. You all see the picture here. You know, Lloyd Austin, and I even, I had to, uh, uh, get the statements. And I usually— excuse me— when I do an analysis for you or an assessment, I have to have the statements that backs up this kind of information, because that's what a real analyst does. You can't just speak on the top of your head. You have to know what you're talking about. So what Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, said, and I quote here, in the face of coercion, coercion rather, and gray zone aggressions, Secretary Galvez and I agreed to redouble our effort to strengthen our combined ability to resist, to resist armed attack by modernize our armed forces. We also discussed near-term plans to complete security sector assistance roadmap to support the delivery of priority defensive platforms over the next 5 to 10 years, including radars, unmanned aerial systems, military transport aircraft, and coastal and air defense system. End of quote. Once again, guys, you truly have to see the big picture to put this context in it. Well, again, this is where the idea of, you know, what the heck people are thinking. You know, for us Americans have no clue. Oh, thank you. We're just gonna go and foment more tensions, create more tensions, bid on energy. This is why most of us Americans do not understand what a war with China will entail. They have no clue, you know. I mean, you know, I'm, I'm walking around and I'm talking to people here, and you won't believe how brainwashed some are as far as what's coming out of Ukraine. That's why I made the decision, the whole crew, we decide to come over here. Once again, nobody's funding this trip. We're paying for it out of our pockets. So this way we won't be held sway to anybody else who said, well, I funded your trip, so you wanted to create a report that fits my narrative. I say, hell no, ain't gonna happen, because truth matters. So I'm gonna pay for it myself, I'm gonna take my own risks, you know, and I'm gonna find the facts, and that's what I'm gonna disclose to my viewers. Because that's what they will expect from me. If I am to sit in my place, uh, you know, sharing this with you from an armchair, what's the point? This is again what pisses me off about those who claim themselves to be this, you know, whatever analyst, whatever, without even being on the ground and understanding the truth. Media is not gonna disclose this. Media is gonna be cherry-picking. And I'm already seeing signs here on the ground in Poland near Ukraine. So I'm going to be debating whether to cross over or not the next few days. So now here is the response of the Philippines Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, and, and I found his statements as well because it was a joint press conference. So, so he said, Manalo welcomed the US offer for more military assistance. And he said, and I quote, we especially welcome the US pledge to fast-track and ramp up support for the modernization of our defense, civilian law enforcement, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response capability, especially in the maritime domain, as well as the implementation of the EDCA projects and investments in and around ADCA-agreed locations. And by the way, guys, ADCA stands for the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. So the agreements basically allow— guess this, get this, guys— allow US rotational access to selected members— I'm sorry, selected numbers of Filipino military facilities. Usually when you have rotations, that means you occupy the place. We just— we use the term. I was in the military. We used to have rotations in the Middle East on a yearly basis. That means we own the place there. That's what it means. So he's putting a spin on it. Because Average Joe, Average Jane does not understand that kind of language. You know, you're talking about rotational access to select number of military facilities. Basically, you're gonna own the damn thing. That's what you're gonna do. And when you own it, you're gonna decide. Philippines, the military or the government will just have to agree. This is why there are protests. In, uh, in Philippines. But this is also what I— you remember, guys, last time when I said I am going to put a question mark on, uh, what's his name, uh, Bongbong Marcos Jr., because I became more convinced? You know, I had that question mark before his trip to China, but after his trip and what happened just after, I kind of— that ambiguity has been removed. And I reached my conclusion that he was playing China by showing that, oh, I'm gonna come over for an official visit, but at the same time I'm cutting a deal behind closed doors. So I'm convinced that Marcos Jr. is not as strong as many has hoped for. And I'm gonna touch, of course, on the family uh, squandering of the public money that belongs to Filipino people. So that is where the issue with this. And again, that is why the protesters in Philippines have taken place this week. They've been going on. We don't hear much about it because, you know, of course, the question you're gonna ask yourself as an analyst is, okay, what is the purpose of the military drills? You know, yeah, strengthen ties between the country. No, no, no, you know, you're using Philippines territory, of course, to project— that's what it is— to project your power in Asia. That's what it is. That is why Secretary of the General— Secretary General of NATO went to Japan and South Korea a month and a half ago, because they wanted to suck in South Korea and Japan, and now Philippines being sucked in into the orbit of, you know, the US and NATO, of course, militarily speaking. The same thing what just happened to Finland, sucked in into the orbit, into NATO's orbit, you know. And like I told you guys before, before that even happened, when Finland was admitted last 2 weeks ago as the 31st, uh, member of NATO, I did say on the record, and it's right there on, on one of my videos there, that mark my word, Russia is going to now allocate its, uh, uh, medium and long-range missiles, nuclear tactical, uh, tactical weapons, that is, to the border. And that's exactly what Russia just did last week. You're gonna be seeing some changes in Asia now, major ones, especially from the military dimension. We've already seen the financial aspect with ASEAN declaring that the removal of the US dollar, the removal of the yen, removal of the pound, the British pound, and removal of the euro. That again didn't happen in a vacuum. There is a, there is a strategic reason for that. And that is why I am convinced that Marcos Jr. is so weak because he can't stand up to the military. And again, because in Philippines it's the military establishment that manages this kind of relations with the United States. Because just look what I stated when it comes down to Secretary of Defense, uh, Lloyd Austin's statement— what type of weapons is going to be deployed to Philippines. And it should give you, uh, an idea right there. So now let me get in, let me get into talking about— let me take a look first of all, see what are you joined. Oh, let me say thank you to— I'm gonna go back up here, guys, and say, uh, when you put a Super Sticker, I'll stop everything because I feel it's, it's the right thing to do to acknowledge that, and I like to do that. So, all right, let me see who is this person. All right, Lover of the Russian Team, thank you so much for your super sticker, truly appreciate it. So, and it's nice to be on the this side of the Atlantic. So, uh, who's— who else? Uh, let me see, there's another individual here I'd like to say thank you. I truly appreciate you guys coming over here. Uh, oh, uh, Spring Peony, I need to see where that is because I'm not seeing it here. There we go, show it right there. All right, Spring Peony, thank you so much for your super sticker. I truly appreciate it. So yeah, let me go, uh Remember guys, let me know where you joining me from. So it'll be nice if to, uh, have somebody from this part of the world where I am currently. So, uh, so, uh, let me talk about the Marcos family timeline because you need to understand. Let me have a sip of water. So You have to understand, once again, history is very important, and some of us in the West are poor readers of history. I'll say this, and I don't shy away from saying it. Of course, I am not generalizing. I never generalize. Never ever. Never ever. And you guys do the same in your life. Never generalize. There are good people, there are bad people, uh, you know, that's just how life is. So, uh, but some of us, like I say, majority of us, most of us, but that does not mean everybody, we're poor readers of history. So this is why I sometimes focus on history. So when I do a talk like this, so Marcos family's timeline, when you— how far are you gonna go back? We're gonna go back to the '60s. Why '60s? Because in 1965, that's when Ferdinand Marcos was elected president of Philippines. 1972, declared martial law. And again, I am not here— let me put this on a record— I am not here to judge Marcos Sr. or Marcos Jr. or whomever. I am here to provide you facts and you reach your own conclusions. Let it always be said that, you know, Dr. O never imposes his thinking on us, because I will never ever do that, because I refuse to do that. I used to do it with my own students at the university. I'll present the arguments, I'll present the facts, I'll present the whatever needs for them to form that conclusion, but I tell them, this is up on you now to decide how you want to reach your conclusion and what type of conclusion. So But those facts is going to help you. 1972, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., that is, declared martial law. 1983, anti-Marcos lawyer is named by Benigno Aquino, assassinated. Okay, then in 1986, Marcos ousted in popular revolt after disputed elections win over Cory Aquino. And I was following that at that time. I was following Corazon Aquino at the time, so, which was the widow of Benigno. So 1986, both Marcos Sr. and his wife Imelda flee to the U.S., taking cash, jewelry, and other valuables. You know, 1989, Ferdinand Marcos Sr. died. 1991, Marcos family returned to Philippines, and in 2013, only $4 billion— get this, guys— only $4 billion out of $10 billion wealth of the Marcos family recovered. What happened to the other 6? Nobody knows, you know. And of course, as you know, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in 2022 won the elections. As a matter of fact, I had to check on another source I have my way of finding information. So, uh, I had to— I found out that the estimation of the money that's been stolen reaches between $10 to $30 billion. Some of it is stashed right here in the US, you know. As a matter of fact, the Marcos family had a property in New Jersey, if I'm not mistaken, that was purchased back then for over $128,000, money back then which worth 3 times, 4 times, 5 times the amount today. So, but again, it's not the point about this. We all know not everybody again is corrupted. There are some decent people out there, you know. I'm— I, I remember that the president, a former president of Ecuador, the guy lived in an apartment, didn't even live in a presidential palace, you know. That there are decent people out there, but, but corruption, we all know how it is, you know. What, what sort of, uh, uh, not bothers me, what I find it perplexing is, you know, and I know Filipino people, you know, wonderful, wonderful people, like some other people from other parts of the world, you know. It's their money that's been stolen, you know, and, and you're thinking like Marcos Jr. now is going to do something right. You know, there are some high hopes on the guy. You know, it turns out to be— it's no different than the, what's his name, the Prime Minister of Australia, Albanese, Albo. It's no different than the President of South Korea, you know, no, no different than the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida. They all end up being so weak. The German Chancellor, the French President is showing some She can stand a little bit. The Prime Minister of UK, Sunak, uh, the, the Prime Minister of Canada. I mean, they're all so weak, you know, because to me that's what leadership is all about. If you couldn't— if you as a leader, if you as a professor, if you as analyst, if you as whatever couldn't take stand when it matters, then what's the point? What is the point if you're gonna just show up with your suit and tie in a good time because your leadership has never been tested. And here is an example right now. So Marcos Jr. thinking, yes, we understand the, the family history and all that stuff, but are you doing this in favor of having access to the money that's been frozen in the US? That's worth asking. What do you guys think? Do you think the Filipino president agreed to all this so he and the family can have access to the frozen money in the US? Leave me some answers on the— give me the answers on the chat box if you feel like it. So, so this is where I see— this is where I see when leadership matters. If you couldn't take stand and tell the military, I am the president because I've been elected by the people, and I will not agree to this plan. And if the worst can happen, take it to the people. This is where that idea of government for the people, by the people— but the majority do not understand. We have it right here at home. So we shouldn't be pointing fingers at others when we couldn't fix our own home. Once again, this is what prompts me to come over here, because I need to check on fact with my own eyes, a see on the ground. So this way you have a full picture, but I will never ever reach a conclusion for you because you need to reach your own. So, so That's how I see it. So this is where I feel, uh, the importance of this topic for you to place it within the bigger, bigger picture or bigger context that is. So, and it's— if we don't engage in a conversation like this, we will never, you know, learn, find out, and, and that— because that's how it works. That is how it works. So without that, it's not going to happen. And, and Western media, uh, we all know how it is. So I'm not gonna badmouth because I don't believe in that kind of stuff. I believe in calling something as is, you know, pointing fingers and blaming this. It's useless, it's waste of energy. You can spend your energy on focusing on things that matters to you. That's where I see the importance of it, you know. And again, just to go back to my point, if you guys would like me to do a live stream or a video about the release of the classified stuff from the Pentagon, I have a treasure trove about that information, what's involved. So just let me know in the comment, uh, or whatever way you guys want to— you prefer. So because I like to have your input. That's how I look at it. It's two-way street, you know, and I am here to learn from you. There are those of you said, thank you, Dr. O, for, you know, helping us understand. Well, I'm here to learn from you as well. It goes both ways, you know. That's, that's, that's how we ought to be. So, all right, let me, let me— I'm done talking for what I need to cover because I don't want to just waste your time. Like I always say, Your time means a lot to me, you know, and, and that's how I respect your time. So, uh, let me see who— where are you joining me from? I am looking at, uh, AC from Hong Kong, good to see you. Uh, Steph Lynn from Canada, good to see you. Uh, uh, Saul Alanis from Wisconsin, you know, I enjoyed Wisconsin, of course, with cheese, you know. OKI in TV from Chicago, good to see you, sir. You know, from Russia. I just had a conversation with somebody from Russia, from Ukraine. But, uh, when he said, well, Russia this, Russia— because they were asking for donations for the children in Ukraine. And I said, well, I can't just give you donations because I am not convinced in something. He said, what do you mean? And I said, well, what I mean is I only donate for something I'm convinced about. So I said, let me ask you a question. And I asked him the question. I said, well, who do you think caused the war? And he just walked away. You know, you can just— you can tell. And this is not even over in Ukraine. This is right here in Poland. So I'm wondering what I'm gonna find out when I go, if I cross over to Ukraine. So, uh, uh, Alfredo from Macau, uh, good to see you. I have a good friend of mine that was originally from Macau. He just wrote a wrote a book. As a matter of fact, the book has been translated, uh, has, has been translated to Chinese about the BRI, the Belt and Road Initiative. Wonderful friend of mine. BK from Hong Kong, Kang from Romania, good to see you. HVA from Netherlands, good to see you. Uh, Nadia, as always, good to see you from New York City. Uh, let me see who else here, and I'm gonna go up, and I'm at the bottom here. Uh, oh, Nairobi, Shim, oh, the Ambo, Nairobi, Kenya. Uh, KRT from, uh, no, I thought it was from Malaysia. No, no, it's not. All right, let me go up and I see where are you joining me from here. So, uh, William N, good to see you, and good morning to you, or good afternoon, whatever part of, you know, uh, for you. Jack, as always, good to see you, sir. Uh, uh, let me see. Oh, Part-Time Thinker from Houston, Texas, good to see you. Athene Wu, good to see you, hello to you as well. So happy to see you. Likewise. That's— I truly, I was concerned about the connection here, but it seems to be working. So I'm going to be doing another live stream for you. Most likely I might even do more live streams than I do videos. It's because the problem is the internet is so slow to upload, uh, and, and again, I'd rather do this so you get information, uh, so see you from Maastricht in, uh, Netherlands. There we go. Good to see you, uh, Canada, Steph Lynn. So anyway, let me take a look and see if there's any questions, and if not, and I'm gonna close it up here. And till I link up with you again in the next live stream, which I will do. And again, I'm always open to your suggestions as to the topics you are covering. Just for those who have not, maybe that's your first time joining me here, whatever. If this is your first time, please make sure to subscribe to the channel. You help me out with the— hit the like buttons, because it's your support that matters to me. Otherwise, there is no way for me to, uh— you all know how it is, uh. And again, like I say, guys, I am here in Poland not because someone else funded my trip here. Uh, Boon, good to see you, Boon, and thank you very much for your Super Sticker. Let me answer your Question here: could Philippines be— uh, I was thinking about being in Germany, by the way, Boone, but I'm not gonna make it this time around there. So question: could Philippines be stringing the US along? Yes, they will. They have no other option, you know, they've been forced to the line. But again, because it's not just Ferdinand Marcos Jr., it's the military establishment. That's usually how it works in that part of the world. Unfortunate because, uh, what's going to be happening there. Oh, Lolo, good to see you, and thank you very much for your Super Sticker. I truly appreciate it. Uh, uh, oh, Osiris, good to see you as always. Osiris, great. I, I've been saying this about Osiris and, and most of you guys there, but Osiris been always, you know, thank you so much. Thank you for your support, and I mean it. I truly appreciate it. Uh, there is another super sticker here that I need to— and, uh, right here, Richard. Richard, thank you so much for your super sticker. I truly appreciate it. So, so I'm gonna, uh, how about let me see if there is any other question before I sign off here, guys. And, uh, in the next few days I'm gonna be preparing the next question for you. Uh, there's question here from YT. YT question is, how will China punish Philippines? You know, I, I hope China would never do that, but at the same time, if they are pushed, uh, too far, they're gonna react to that. And again, Philippine— uh, I'm sorry, China. China has other means beside the military, and, and China will not use military. They are not. And again, this is based on my assessments, what I know about and research about the country. They are not gonna react militarily because China has other means at its disposal, which are the economic aspect. This is why Philippines, by embarking on this, they are shooting themselves in the foot economically. Their prosperity, economically speaking, is tied to China. If China shut the door on trade Filipinos gonna be suffering. And when I say Filipinos, I'm talking about the people, not the establishment. Those military, the government, they are stashing money outside Philippines in private bank accounts. It's not gonna help, it's not gonna impact them. No, not at all. And this is where— so China has other means, but I see China exercising patience but to a degree. They're not gonna, uh, be doing it forever. So, all right, let me do one more question here, and that would be it for me, guys. And I'm going all the way, guys, to the top. So All right, one last one here. It's from Lolo. He say, is another proxy war between US-China imminent in view of US provocation and presidential elections in both Taiwan and US? Hope it will not cause the World War III. That, that, that's a good argument, uh, as far as World War III. I just, uh, you know, if there's World War III, and, and, and there are those, and I argued this before, and again, I could be wrong, but I don't see see it. Uh, if there is— if there's a World War III, that could be triggered by North Korea, with the issue with North Korea. That's where it will be. As far as the Ukraine, uh, because of what's going on in Ukraine, it's different from what the media is reporting. And again, I am close to the— I am close by, so I'm already seeing the signs of what has been reported versus what it is are the opposite ends. So World War III Uh, it, it's not, it's not going to happen that way. On the other hand, the provocations, yes, that could escalate tensions, and if there's miscalculations, it could lead to some outcome that it will not be pretty for anybody. So, so, well, guys, I hope you find this informative as always, and I look forward to seeing you next time. As always, remember, geopolitics impact your daily life. In more ways than one. Till next time, guys. Bye-bye.