Marcos rips geopolitical excuses amid sea conflict

NEW DELHI, India — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had some pointed words about how the rest of the world seems to view the South China Sea (SCS) conflict: disappointed, perhaps even frustrated, with what he sees as a waning global resolve.

Speaking at a foreign policy forum hosted by the Observer Research Foundation, Marcos didn’t name names, but the message was clear: countries that once stood firm on shared international principles seem to have gone quiet.

The SCS overlaps the West Philippine Sea, which a 2016 arbitral ruling declared encompassed the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

“Some of our fellow defenders of the international system that we built together in 1945 have since shifted their priorities, turning more inward and prioritizing urgent national concerns, at times at the expense of the principles we used to champion collectively,” he said.

Mr. Marcos described a world where allies have looked away and left the Philippines to fend for itself, as other powers with competing interests moved in.

“Unfortunately, such narratives at times dominate, obscuring the international community’s judgment,” he said.

The President took aim at what he called the oversimplification of the region’s maritime tensions.

“For instance, the complex issue of competing claims in the South China Sea has, for years, been unfortunately and simplistically reduced to ‘the South China Sea disputes,’ as if claims were all equal. They are not,” he said.

“The assertions of littoral states have to pass the test of conformity with international law, particularly the UNCLOS, and definitive, binding interpretations such as the 2016 Arbitral Award,” he asserted.

By framing it this way, Marcos seemed to challenge the narrative that places all claimant nations on equal footing, when international rulings have drawn clearer lines.

He warned that such narratives distract from “calling out illegal and unlawful actions for what they are: violations of international law.”

A jab at China?

Marcos’ speech stopped short of directly mentioning China, but much of the language appeared directed at Beijing’s actions in the contested waters. He criticized what he described as the use of geopolitics to justify maritime provocations and undermine international legal processes.

“Indeed, there are those who sometimes justify such provocations under the pretext of geopolitics. Just as disconcertingly, there are those who seek to discredit international legal procedures and dismiss binding rulings to cloak opaque claims with a semblance of legitimacy,” he said.

With the Philippines finding itself increasingly alone in the fight, Marcos urged countries to take more responsibility in preserving the rules-based order.

“Through our strategic partnership, the Philippines and India must assert the clarity of international law. As co-architects of the rules-based international order, we have a solid foundation on which we can build,” he said.

He also recalled the Philippines’ diplomatic legacy in championing peaceful conflict resolution.

“We Filipinos are proud of our efforts to promote the rule of law, including through the 1982 Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes. We also find inspiration in India’s contributions, example, and its own adherence to the law,” Marcos said.

Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada on Thursday voiced support for the newly signed strategic partnership between the Philippines and India, calling it vital to enhancing regional security amid rising Asia-Pacific tensions.

Estrada praised the agreement, signed during President Marcos’ state visit to India, as a boost to defense, trade, and maritime cooperation. He said India’s inclusion in the Philippines’ alliance network strengthens efforts to ensure peace in the Indo-Pacific.

“These deals mean safer seas and better protection for our fishermen,” Estrada said, lauding the expanded military and coast guard collaboration between the two democracies.