President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. on Thursday reiterated that the Philippines will not yield to any foreign power when it comes to protecting the country's sovereign territory.
Speaking before the Australian Parliament, the President said the country is currently on the frontline "against actions that undermine regional peace, erode regional stability, and threaten regional success."
"I shall never tire of repeating the declaration that I made from the first day that I took office: I will not allow any attempt by any foreign power to take even one square inch of our sovereign territory," Marcos said.
"The challenges that we face may be formidable, but equally formidable is our resolve. We will not yield," he continued.
According to Marcos, the region’s security and continued prosperity rely upon this effort, saying the protection of the South China Sea as a vital, critical global artery is 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," he said.
Marcos urged concerned nations to 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.
He also emphasized how the Philippines should draw strength from the consistent and unequivocal support of Australia and the international community for the lawful exercise of its rights.
“This is why our Strategic Partnership has grown more important than ever,” he said.
“We must reinforce each other’s strengths. We must protect the peace that we fought for during the war and have jealously guarded in the decades since. We must oppose actions that clearly denigrate the rule of law,” he said.
The President is currently in Australia from February 28-29 to give speech before its Parliament.
