President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. on Thursday thanked Australia for "standing with the Republic of the Philippines" amid the ongoing tension in the West Philippine Sea.
Speaking before the Parliament of Australia in Canberra, the President made the statement amid the continues tension between China and the country on the West Philippine Sea.
Marcos commended Australia for abiding and sharing the same interests in keeping the seas free and open, adding that the protection of South China Sea is vital as it is the critical global artery crucial to the preservation of regional and global peace.
"We have an abiding interest in keeping our seas free and open and in ensuring unimpeded passage and freedom of navigation. We must uphold, preserve, and defend the unified and universal character of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as the constitution of the oceans," the Chief Executive said.
Marcos expressed his admiration to Australia for upholding, defending, and preserving the “unified and universal character of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the constitution of the oceans.”
“We draw strength from the consistent and unequivocal support of Australia and the international community for the lawful exercise of our rights, which have been settled under international law. And so, on behalf of the Filipino people, I thank you, Australia, for standing with the Republic of the Philippines,” the President said.
“We demonstrate the depth and breadth of our security cooperation through regular exchanges between our armed forces and our coast guards, including in the areas of maritime security, counterterrorism, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief,” he added.
In the same speech, Marcos affirmed that the Philippines will remain firm in defending the country’s sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction even in the challenging situation with Chinese maritime assets in the region.
