Marcos tells int'l community to reject 'unjust narratives'
For a stronger BARMM President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., during the 17th Meeting of the National Government-Bangsamoro Government Intergovernmental Relations Body at the PICC in Pasay City on Thursday, tells Muslim Filipinos that a stronger Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao means a stronger Mindanao, and a stronger Mindanao means a stronger Philippines. Also in photo are (from left), Senator Loren Legarda, BARMM Minister Mohagher Iqbal, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. and Deputy Chief Minister Ali Solaiman.
PPA POOL
SINGAPORE — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told the international community to reject the narratives that undermine the sovereignty and distinct interests of smaller nations in favor of so-called "major country" dynamics.
In his speech during the 2024 IISS Shangri-La Dialogue on Friday evening, Marcos underscored the importance of equality and mutual respect in international relations.
''We must reject unjust narratives that seek to subsume distinct national interests into so-called 'major country' dynamics, which seek to impose hierarchy amongst nations,'' Marcos said.
''Those who came before us worked painstakingly throughout the last century to bury the era of spheres of influence and buffer states. We should not allow its ghost to haunt our region once again,'' Marcos added.
Marcos refrained from specifying any countries at the international forum on defense and security, though Philippine officials have previously criticized China for its territorial claims amid escalating tensions in the West Philippine Sea.
Marcos Jr.'s remarks also coincided with the Philippines' longstanding commitment to maintaining its sovereignty and promoting regional stability.
Marcos refrained from specifying any countries at the international forum on defense and security, though Philippine officials have previously criticized China for its territorial claims amid escalating tensions in the West Philippine Sea.
''They are a service to the progressive development and codification of international law. They are never an unfriendly act,'' Marcos said.
His reference to the "era of spheres of influence" highlights the historical struggles many nations faced under colonial and imperial rule, and the hard-won independence that emerged from those struggles.
"Our forebears fought to dismantle systems that treated some countries as pawns on a geopolitical chessboard," Marcos said.
"Today, we must honor their legacy by standing firm against any attempts to revive those outdated concepts. Every nation, regardless of size or power, deserves to have its voice heard and its interests respected," Marcos added.