President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took a swipe at “detractors,” apparently referring to China, during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday as he reaffirmed the validity of the 2016 arbitral ruling and vowed to defend it against attempts to undermine it.

While he did not explicitly mention Beijing, Marcos' remarks condemning racism echoed recent statements from senators who rebuked Chinese state-owned media outlet China Daily for depicting Filipinos as monkeys in what they described as another attempt to discredit the landmark ruling.

“Of late, our very humanity has been called into question. Let me remind our friends and our detractors: Filipinos are a noble, kind, gracious, and great race,” Marcos averred.

“We are not greedy. We are not racists. We are not liars. We are respectful, and we are dignified. We are Filipinos, and we do not yield,” he added.

The President likewise pledged that his administration would exhaust all legal and peaceful means to uphold the landmark ruling against “any attempt, foreign or domestic, to undermine this achievement.”

“This is not a claim that we advance alone, nor one that we will abandon,” he pointed out.

The arbitral award marked its 10th anniversary on July 12. Marcos reiterated that the ruling remains “final and binding” and serves as a “definitive benchmark for the interpretation and application of the UNCLOS,” despite China's continued rejection of the decision.

Issued by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration, the ruling overwhelmingly favored the Philippines and unanimously invalidated China's sweeping claims over nearly the entire South China Sea, including areas overlapping the West Philippine Sea.

China has consistently refused to recognize the award, describing it as “a worthless piece of paper that is illegal, null and void, and has no binding force.”

Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said it would have been “undiplomatic” for Marcos to specifically name China, although he argued that it was clear whom the President was referring to.

“We don’t have to put salt into the [wound]. We all know who is being talked about here. We all know who the racist is, and who is encroaching upon our waters,” Tarriela told reporters at the Batasang Pambansa shortly after the SONA.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro shared the same view, saying the President's remarks should apply not only to China but to any foreign country seeking to encroach on Philippine territory.

“Whether it's China or another country, we will not be oppressed. We will fight,” Castro said in an ambush interview.

Meanwhile, Senator Erwin Tulfo welcomed Marcos' reaffirmation of the arbitral ruling, saying it sends a clear message that the Philippines will not surrender any part of its territory despite recent confrontations between Philippine forces and the China Coast Guard in the West Philippine Sea, including an incident that left a Philippine Navy serviceman with a serious head injury.

“That should always be the stand of this government,” he stressed.

Marcos' approach to Beijing marks a sharp departure from that of his predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who pursued closer ties with China for economic reasons while adopting a more conciliatory stance in the West Philippine Sea.

Since assuming office, Marcos has strengthened the Philippines' security ties with Western allies, particularly the United States, which has consistently backed Manila's efforts to uphold its maritime rights in the disputed West Philippine Sea.