War over Taiwan to drag PH kicking and screaming into conflict - Marcos

Metro Manila, Philippines - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday stood firm on his position that the Philippines will inevitably be caught in a conflict over Taiwan, even as China filed a formal diplomatic protest that accused him of “interfering in China’s internal affairs” and “playing with fire.”

In a press conference in Malacañang on Monday, Aug. 11, Marcos dismissed Beijing’s criticism and defended his comments as grounded in geographic and practical realities.

“I don’t know what they’re talking about. Playing with fire? I was just stating facts. We do not want to go to war. But I think if there is a war over Taiwan, we will be drawn - kicking and screaming - into that mess,” Marcos said.

The president said the country’s proximity to Taiwan and the presence of more than 160,000 Filipinos working and living there make neutrality impossible.

“Huwag na tayong mag-hope [Let us not simply rely on hope],” he said.

“I hope it doesn’t happen. I hope it doesn’t. But if it does, we have to plan for it already. How do we get our people out? How do we protect them if there’s trouble - war - so close to us? We cannot just say, ‘Okay lang yan, pabayaan na lang natin’ [That’s fine, let’s just ignore it]. That’s not possible,” the president said.

Beijing, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issued a sharply worded statement over the weekend that accused Marcos of violating the One China principle, a longstanding policy that recognizes Taiwan as part of Chinese territory.

“The Philippines is now going back on its words in disregard of the grave consequences,” the ministry said, warning Manila to “refrain from playing with fire on issues bearing on China’s core interests.”

The Chinese government said the Philippines’ geographic proximity to Taiwan and its large migrant worker population should not be used as a “pretext” to “meddle in China’s internal affairs.”

Meanwhile, Marcos linked the heightened rhetoric to increased Chinese activity in the West Philippine Sea.

“Kaya nagka-increase ng activity doon sa West Philippine Sea [That’s why there’s been an increase in activity in the West Philippine Sea],” he noted.

The president made clear that Philippine vessels will not withdraw from any contested areas.

“We have never instructed any of our vessels to back out. Never. Filipinos are brave. But we do not… Sino’ng Pinoy ang gusto ng gulo? Wala. [Who wants conflict from Filipinos? None],” the president said.

“But at the same time, we have a duty to perform, and that is to defend the country,” he added.

Marcos said the Philippines is not seeking conflict but is committed to defending its territory.

“Hindi naman tayo aggressive. Ano lang tayo, dumidipensa lang tayo” [We are not aggressive. We are only defending ourselves],” he said

He praised the armed services for fulfilling their constitutional mandate.

“We will not stop doing it. We will stop only when the threat stops,” the president said.

The diplomatic row stemmed from an interview Marcos gave to Indian news outlet Firstpost earlier this month, in which he highlighted the strategic vulnerability of the Philippines in a potential Taiwan conflict.

“To be very practical about it, if there is a confrontation over Taiwan between China and the United States, there is no way that the Philippines can stay out of it simply because of our physical geographic location,” he said.