The sinking of a Filipino fishing boat in the West Philippine Sea by a Chinese vessel has created a sticky public relations situation for the government of President Rodrigo Duterte. The usual extremists have added fuel to an already incendiary situation. Duterte critics, who believe that he has become too subservient to the Chinese, have pointed to the incident as one more proof that Duterte has been bahag ang buntot when it comes to Chinese bullying. The term literally means a dog with its tail between its legs, implying cowardice.

Macabenta, G. B. (2019, June 19). China invades the Philippines — a bad dream come true. BusinessWorld, pp. S1/6, S1/7.