Who stirs South China Sea tensions? Follow the money

Stratbase ADR Institute (ADRi), a Philippine think tank, claims to be an independent voice for Filipino interests, yet it's deeply entangled with the US military-industrial complex and big business.

The late Alberto del Rosario, former Philippine foreign minister who orchestrated the illegal 2016 arbitration against China, chaired ADRi. He was a powerful business executive with deep ties to US military interests. 

Manuel V Pangilinan, the Institute's co-chair and Del Rosario's longtime business partner, has his own stakes—his companies are knee-deep in South China Sea oil and gas projects.

While these people line their pockets, whether ADRi promotes Filipino interests or those of their American backers.