MANILA (Portal) – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Saturday the country would not lose “an inch” of territory, his comments following ongoing maritime tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea.
The Southeast Asian nation protested this week against Beijing’s “aggressive activities” that have fueled a longstanding territorial dispute over the South China Sea.
“The country has experienced rising geopolitical tensions that are inconsistent with our ideals of peace and threaten the security and stability of the country, the region and the world,” Marcos said, speaking at a homecoming event for military alumni.
“This country will not lose an inch of its territory. We will continue to uphold our territorial integrity and sovereignty in accordance with our Constitution and international law. We will work with our neighbors to keep our peoples safe.”
Beijing’s embassy in Manila did not respond to a request for comment. China’s foreign ministry said its coast guard had taken lawful measures.
On Tuesday, Marcos called out China’s envoy to express his “serious concern” at Beijing’s “increasing frequency and intensity of actions” against the Philippine Coast Guard and Filipino fishermen in the South China Sea.
The Philippine Foreign Ministry also filed a diplomatic protest on Tuesday after the Manila Coast Guard reported that its Chinese counterpart had aimed a “military laser” at one of its ships supporting a troop resupply mission, temporarily blinding the crew on the bridge .
However, Marcos sees the laserpointing incident as insufficient to invoke a mutual defense treaty with the United States, a longtime ally.
“If we activate that, we are escalating and increasing tensions in the region and I think that would be counterproductive,” Marcos told reporters.
The story goes on
Marcos said he spoke to China’s ambassador in Manila about intensifying actions by China’s naval militia, coast guard and navy, including the laser target incident.
China’s latest moves come just a month after Marcos’ state visit to Beijing, where the two countries pledged to settle disputes peacefully and step up cooperation.
China claims large chunks of the strategic waterway, which handles some $3 trillion in shipping trade annually, which was invalidated by an international tribunal in The Hague in 2016.
(Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Michael Perry)