There has been no change in the Philippines’ position on defending its territorial sovereignty, particularly in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

In the latest episode of the BBM podcast aired Friday evening, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. addressed questions about what some observers perceived as a shift in tone in his recent statements on the WPS.

He responded to comparisons between his strong remarks in 2022 — “Not an inch of our territory will be abandoned” — and the more diplomatic language in his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA), where he said the Philippines is “a friend to all and an enemy to none.”

“There is no shift in tone,” Marcos asserted.

“Continuing to defend strongly our territory is not mutually exclusive from being a friend to all and an enemy of none.”

He emphasized that the Philippines is not antagonizing any country while remaining firm in protecting its sovereignty.

“Wala naman talaga tayong kinakalaban eh. Lahat naman kinakaibigan natin (We’re not really making enemies. We’re actually befriending everyone),” he said.

The President reiterated that the country is committed to defending its sovereignty while equally pursuing peace and diplomacy.

“Pero ipagtatanggol natin ang soberanya ng Pilipinas. Ipagtatanggol natin ang teritoryo ng Pilipinas (But we will defend the sovereignty of the Philippines. We will defend the territory of the Philippines). You can do both. You don’t have to choose one or the other,” he said.

“That’s our position.”

Marcos explained that maintaining open lines of communication with other nations, including China, remains essential even in the face of provocations such as water cannon incidents and dangerous maneuvers at sea.

“But we keep our lines of communication… Once the lines of communication are closed, then there is no room for improvement. That’s why we keep the lines of communication open,” he said.

Push for binding COC

With the Philippines set to host ASEAN in 2026, Marcos expressed hope that the regional bloc can finalize a binding Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea.

“We will certainly try because it is very, very important,” he said.

He described such an agreement as vital for setting clear and enforceable rules for all claimant nations.

“Pagka nagkaroon ng ganyan, magiging maliwanag kung ano ‘yung rules sa lahat, hindi lamang sa atin. Lahat ng nakapaligid sa South China Sea lahat ‘yan ay masasabi — wala ng ganito, wala ng ganyan, wala ng banggaan, wala nang magtatayo ng bagong island, wala nang gagawa nito, which was the original Code of Conduct,” he said.

(Once that happens, the rules will be clear to everyone, not just to us. All the countries surrounding the South China Sea will be able to say — there will be no more of this, no more of that, no more collisions, no more building of new islands, no more doing these things.)

“Something like that was — made it very, very clear what is expected of each country, each signatory country,” he added.

Marcos highlighted the Philippines’ central role in the discussions.

“So, that’s why it is very, very important. And it’s very important to the Philippines because ang pinakamainit na lugar sa West Philippine Sea ay dito sa banda sa atin. Kaya mahalaga sa atin na magkaroon tayo ng code of conduct,” he said.

He noted that tensions are most intense in areas closest to the country’s exclusive economic zone.

When asked how he wants the country to be seen during its ASEAN chairmanship, Marcos said he hopes the world sees the Philippines as a vibrant, resilient nation with hardworking and kind-hearted people.