In a saga befitting a modern-day epic, civilian fishermen heroically escorted a re-supply mission through the contentious waters of the South China Sea, their bravery unflinching under the vigilant gaze of the Chinese Coast Guard. Miraculously, they returned unscathed, a testament to their quiet resolve. 

Meanwhile, back on shore, administration officials and senators seized the moment for a grandiose photo op, Philippine flags waving majestically. 

Who are the true heroes here? The fishermen, who face real danger, or the politicians, who wield their cameras like shields? 

In a twist worthy of Shakespeare, rhetoric plunges into the murky depths of the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone, right alongside a former president’s infamous jet ski promise—another grand illusion submerged, never to resurface.