MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said the Philippines has “very strong” legal grounds for its claims in the West Philippine Sea.
Speaking before the soldiers at the Western Command (WesCom) in Palawan, the Chief Executive reiterated his campaign promise of doing everything to defend the country’s territory.
“Since I became President, I have made it very, very clear that we will do everything that we need to do to defend our territory, to defend our sovereignty, and to allow our citizens to exercise their sovereign rights within the EEZ (exclusive economic zone),” Marcos said.
“Iyan ang pinaka-importanteng – tuloy-tuloy nating gawin. Matibay ang pinagtatayuan natin dahil (yan) ang batas,” the President added. “Kailanman ay hindi tayo magpapa-supil at magpapa-api kahit na kanino man.”
“The Philippines is a responsible state. We will continue to exercise our freedoms and rights in support of our national interest, in accordance with international law,” he further said.
President Marcos also reiterated that the Philippines is “not in the business to instigate wars,” noting that its “great ambition is to provide a peaceful and prosperous life for every Filipino.”
“We refuse to play by the rules that force us to choose sides in a great power competition. No government that truly exists in the service of the people will invite danger or harm to lives and livelihood,” Marcos said.
“And that is why, in defending the nation, we stay true to our Filipino nature that we would like to settle all these issues peacefully. And in the performance of our duties, we will not resort to the use of force or intimidation, or deliberately inflict injury or harm to anyone,” he added.
“But at the same time, we stand firm. Our calm and peaceful disposition should not be mistaken for acquiescence,” the Chief Executive went on.
The Philippines and China have been locked in a long-standing maritime dispute in the WPS, part of the vast South China Sea that Beijing claims entirely as its own.
However, a 2016 arbitral ruling invalidated China’s claim and upheld the Philippines’ rights on key features of the waterways, a decision Beijing has refused to recognize./PN
