Approaching war meant that asserting the Philippine claim to Scarborough Shoal (more familiar to us as Bajo de Masinloc) was overtaken by events. Also, America itself had priorities that diverged from those of the Philippines. François-Xavier Bonnet, in a footnote, had to explain why for the Americans, it seemed at first indifferent to the Philippine […]... Keep on reading: When did it all start? (2)