Since President Bongbong Marcos made the full pivot to the United States, abandoning the foreign policy direction of his predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte, critics and self-styled political analysts have pestered him with criticisms.
The main charge against the President, who is after all the chief architect of Philippine foreign policy, is that by moving closer to the US and its western allies, we are endangering the lives of present-day and future generations of Filipinos by pushing them closer to war—which presumably is a war against China.
It is a war we can’t possibly win, given the state of our military capability as against theirs.
Despite the criticisms, the President and Commander-in-Chief maintained his uncompromising position against the increasingly aggressive behavior of our northern neighbor in the West Philippine Sea.
Lately, his stance received the support of local lawmakers.
Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said in a press conference on Tuesday that in light of the recent attack of China's coast guard against two Philippine vessels, everyone should be supporting President Marcos's stance against Chinese aggression.
“We should support the President. Because bullying tactics, a strategy like that, should be countered with a strong opposition and the President has taken that. Kasi pinaglalaban ng Presidente (What the President is fighting for) is not to encroach on anybody's territory; the President does not want to encroach the territory of any other country,” Adiong said.
China claims virtually the entire South China Sea, including territories in the WPS that are well within Manila’s exclusive economic zone.
Adiong, however, pointed out that the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague has ruled against China’s sweeping historical claims to the waterway.
In the Senate, Sen. Francis “Tol” Tolentino said the Balikatan military exercises with the US, France, Australia and other friendly countries should continue. “This should go hand-in-hand with non-defense alliances, specifically scientific and marine research, both living and non-living resources, which the Netherlands are more than willing to share.”
Tolentino noted the historical context of Balikatan, that this year’s military exercise is already the 39th of a series. He said there is nothing usual here; this is not a sign of provocation, but a commitment of the Philippines to comply with its international treaty obligations. Tolentino wanted to further strengthen the Philippine Navy, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Philippine National Police Maritime Group.
Adiong concluded that “the answer to intimidation is not a defeatist attitude. We need to stand firm and the President is standing in a very legitimate position, and we need to support him on that.”
These comments all the more reinforce President Marcos’ firm stance on the nation’s territorial claim in the WPS.