Team Pinas: Filipino Americans have to stand for West PH Sea; Duterte accountability

New York City — As the Philippines grapples with China's continued assertion in the West Philippine Sea and the unresolved questions of accountability from the Duterte administration's war on drugs, a Filipino group of scholars, lawyers, and advocates said that the country's democratic future increasingly rests on one factor: whether young Filipinos choose to engage.

The group, Team Pinas, joined scholars, advocates, and members of the Filipino American community on September 9, 2026 at the forum on "Challenges Confronting Philippine Democracy," held at NYU's Pless Lobby Lounge. It was in partnership with the Sulo: Philippine Studies Initiative and the New York Southeast Asia Network.

The forum discussed two major themes: China's hegemonic role and developments in the West Philippine Sea, and the Duterte administration's war on drugs, democratic deficit, and questions of impeachment and political accountability.

"Filipinos overseas remain part of the democratic conversation at home," said Atty. Dino de Leon, Core Member of Team Pinas. "Academic institutions, civic organizations, and diaspora communities can help create spaces where Philippine issues are discussed seriously, grounded in evidence, and connected to the experiences of Filipinos on the ground."

The program featured fireside discussions on two major themes: China's hegemonic role and developments in the West Philippine Sea, and the Duterte administration's war on drugs, democratic deficit, and questions of impeachment and political accountability.

Team Pinas is a multidisciplinary network of Filipino scholars, policy practitioners, educators, legal experts, and civic leaders committed to strengthening democratic participation through evidence-based public engagement, civic education, and youth leadership initiatives.

Through programs such as the GenZennial Tour, Team Pinas aims to make civic participation more accessible, engaging, and relevant for the next generation of Filipinos.

The forum also turned to the role of civic education and youth participation in strengthening Philippine democracy, with Team Pinas sharing its experience through the GenZennial Tour, its nationwide youth civic engagement initiative which is a natural extension, organizers said, of the same conversation happening in the diaspora.

The GenZennial Tour brings conversations on democracy, the West Philippine Sea, accountability, governance, and other national issues directly to campuses and communities across the Philippines. Rather than treating young people simply as an audience, the program uses interactive discussions, expert conversations, and community-building activities to encourage them to become active participants in public life.

"The defense of democracy ultimately depends on citizens who understand what is at stake and are willing to participate. This is especially important for the younger generation," de Leon said. "Through initiatives like the GenZennial Tour, we want young Filipinos to have spaces where they can engage difficult issues, question what they hear, examine the facts, and understand that they have a real stake in the future of our democratic institutions."

Team Pinas also shared how conversations generated by the GenZennial Tour provide opportunities to listen to young Filipinos themselves on how they understand national issues, what shapes their political participation, and what can encourage greater engagement in their schools and communities.

The NYU gathering highlighted the potential for collaboration among academics, civic organizations, communicators, young people, and Filipino communities abroad in making complex political issues more accessible and encouraging informed civic participation wherever Filipinos call home.

Through the GenZennial Tour and its other civic education initiatives, Team Pinas continues to connect research and evidence with public conversation, youth engagement, and community action, both in the Philippines and among Filipino communities overseas.#

(A Press Release from Team Pinas Executive Director Carlo Flores)