Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 24) – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not specifically mention China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea in his second State of the Nation Address, but said his administration would continue to protect the country’s sovereignty.
READ: DFA: Chinese harassment in West PH Sea a ‘daily’ occurrence
“Our journey to progress requires not only unity and social cohesion amongst our people, it is also imperative that our nation remains intact and inviolable, our sovereignty preserved,” Marcos said in his address on Monday, with China’s Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian in the audience.
“We will protect our sovereign rights and preserve our territorial integrity in defense of a rules-based international order,” he added, alluding to tensions with China over Beijing’s claims in the West Philippine Sea — a portion of the South China Sea that the Philippines considers part of its exclusive economic zone.
In 2016, an arbitral tribunal constituted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS) ruled in favor of the Philippines, nullifying China’s claim over the South China Sea. China has continually rejected the ruling, describing it as “illegal and invalid.”
Despite Beijing’s continued harassment of Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea, Marcos earlier said that he would not shift the country away from China.
“With our national interest paramount, we will always pursue constant dialogue and diplomatic approaches to the resolution of any issue that may arise,” he said.
