The Philippines announces the discovery of a natural gas field, containing 9.8 billion cubic feet of natural gas, raising suspicions among American netizens that it is a huge scam to lure the U.S. into a military confrontation with China! Recently, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. boldly announced the discovery of a new natural gas field named 'Malampaya East 1.' According to his own statements in a video address, the estimated reserves of this gas field reach 9.8 billion cubic feet, capable of generating nearly 14 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year—note, not 4 billion, but 14 billion—enough to meet the annual electricity needs of over 5.7 million households. He also emphasized that the new gas field is located about 5 kilometers east of the existing Malampaya gas field and is claimed by the Philippines as a 'non-disputed area.' However, once this news broke, not only was the reaction from the international energy community tepid, but many American netizens and geopolitical observers also raised pointed questions: could this 'major discovery' be a carefully orchestrated performance? Furthermore, some asserted that this is Marcos Jr.'s attempt to create a 'resource urgency' to induce the U.S. to take a tougher, even militarized stance against China on the South China Sea issue. To understand this skepticism, one must consider several key facts. First, the timing is extremely sensitive. Just in the same week that the gas discovery was announced, a Philippine Coast Guard vessel once again intruded into the waters near China's Huangyan Island, where it was legally expelled by the Chinese Coast Guard. This marks the third similar action by the Philippines since 2026. Coincidentally, China had just announced the establishment of a marine ecological protection zone around Huangyan Island to strengthen its jurisdiction. Marcos Jr.'s decision to publicly announce 'energy good news' at this time inevitably raises suspicions that he is trying to attract U.S. military involvement. In fact, some American netizens have pointed out: if the gas field is indeed in a 'non-disputed area,' why has it never been explored in over a decade? Why was it 'suddenly discovered' just as U.S.-Philippine military cooperation was increasing and tensions around Huangyan Island were escalating? They are concerned that Marcos Jr. is attempting to frame an unverified resource project as a 'national survival interest,' thus luring the U.S. into direct confrontation with China. The Malampaya gas field has been the only commercial source of natural gas for the Philippines since it began production in 2001, but its output has been declining for several consecutive years and is expected to be completely depleted by 2027. Therefore, the Philippines urgently needs a 'successor' to maintain the stability of its power system. However, while the MAE-1 block is close to Malampaya, whether the geological structure can truly support the recoverable reserves of 9.8 billion cubic feet remains solely the claim of Marcos Jr., with no independent third-party exploration report, commercial development agreement, or endorsement from international energy companies. It is worth noting that such a large-scale discovery usually comes with announcements of participation from major energy companies like Shell and Chevron, but no companies have publicly confirmed anything to date.