Marcos: Phl never started WPS brawl
He stressed it was inaccurate to describe the Philippines as aggressive, arguing that aggression meant starting or instigating a conflict.
SINGAPORE — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. maintained that the Philippines has never initiated a confrontation in the South China Sea, amid tensions over the territorial dispute with China.
Marcos made the assertion in an interview with The Straits Times during his working visit here, “coinciding” with an F1 racing event to which he was “invited to.”
He was responding to observations that the Philippines had become more assertive than other countries in opposing China’s actions in the disputed waters.
“We are there, we are sitting in our country, and what we do is defend our rights, defend our territory,” he said.
“So no, we have not been aggressive at all. We have reached a point where aggression is felt more than in any other country in the region. So I assure you, the aggression doesn’t come from the Philippines,” Marcos added.
He stressed it was inaccurate to describe the Philippines as aggressive, arguing that aggression meant starting or instigating a conflict.
The Philippine government’s actions were focused on defending the country’s sovereignty and national interests, not provoking tensions or fighting with other countries, he said.
Days earlier, the China Coast Guard allegedly targeted Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Cabra with a water cannon while it was deployed to evacuate an ailing Philippine Navy serviceman aboard the grounded warship BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal, also known as Second Thomas Shoal, in the West Philippine Sea.
CoC uncertainty
Meanwhile, Marcos said he was unsure whether the proposed Code of Conduct (CoC) for the South China Sea would be finalized before the Philippines’ term as Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) chair ends in November.
“It is very hard to say that... okay, we will finish it by November when we hand the gavel to Singapore. I am confident to say that it will be done. What I say is that we made a great deal of progress,” he said.
He earlier expressed hope that a deal would be struck by year’s end. Still, despite the uncertainty, Marcos assured that efforts would continue to advance the agreement and resolve the remaining issues.
The CoC aims to establish rules and mechanisms for managing disputes in the South China Sea between China and ASEAN member states.
ASEAN and China are aiming to conclude negotiations on a legally binding CoC by the end of 2026, building on the nonbinding 2022 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
A 2016 arbitral ruling deemed China’s territorial claim in the South China Sea baseless, while affirming the Philippines’ rights to its exclusive economic zones in the WPS.
The SCS and WPS overlap.