President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. offered to withdraw the United States' Typhon missile system deployed in the Philippines if China halts its aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
In an interview with the media on Thursday, Marcos responded sharply to China's criticisms regarding the deployment of the said military hardware, stating that the country had stayed silent on China’s missile systems, which are "a thousand times more powerful" than what the Philippines has.
Marcos extended a proposition to China: halt its aggressive actions and territorial claims in exchange for the Philippines potentially pulling back the missile system.
He emphasized that ending these aggressive actions involves ensuring that Filipino fishermen can make a living, halting the ramming of vessels, discontinuing the use of water cannons, and refraining from firing lasers at people.
“Let’s make a deal with China—stop claiming our territory, stop harassing our fishermen and let them have a living, stop ramming our boats, stop water-cannoning our people, stop firing lasers at us, and stop your aggressive and coercive behavior, and I’ll return the Typhon missiles,” said Marcos.
“Tigil nila yung ginagawa nila, ibabalik ko lahat 'yan," he added.
In April of last year, the US deployed the Typhon missile system to the Philippines during the Balikatan military exercises, and it has reportedly stayed in the country
This move has sparked strong opposition from China, which has continuously called for its removal.
The Philippine government has remained firm in its position that all missions in the WPS are conducted in compliance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award.
Moreover, the country has since documented multiple instances of harassment directed at Filipino fishermen and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel in the West Philippine Sea amid the escalating tensions.
