Marcos: Philippines forming coalition to defend territorial rights
NEW DELHI, India — The Philippines wants to form a global coalition with countries that share similar values on territorial sovereignty, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said.
In an interview with Indian media, Marcos noted that New Delhi and Manila face similar challenges regarding their respective boundaries with Beijing.
While China and the Philippines are locked in maritime tensions over the West Philippine Sea, India has longstanding land border disputes with the East Asian power.
“What we are forming here, that's one of the aspects of the new parts of the India-Philippines relationship, is this formation of a global coalition, really, of like-minded states. States that share our values, that share our adherence to international law. And in our case, specifically, it's the UNCLOS, because it's the law of the sea, and that is where we are having problems,” Marcos said on Firstpost.
“The similarity between our situations is that it is a rejection of any unilateral attempt to change boundaries,” he added.
Marcos said the two countries’ conflicts with China were discussed during his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but they did not dwell on the issue for long.
“We are not here to bemoan whatever it is that China is doing, but really to form that coalition. We are not against anyone, we are just for the defense of our territory, the respect of our sovereign rights,” he said.
During Marcos’ visit, India and the Philippines inked three agreements between their two militaries, as well as an additional agreement between their coast guards.
As part of the Philippines and India’s celebration of 75 years of diplomatic relations, Indian vessels were deployed to the Philippines to conduct joint maritime patrols in the South China Sea, a move that earned the ire of China.
Marcos dismissed the remarks, saying China tends to accuse the Philippines of siding with allies of the United States.
The president said that like-minded countries such as South Korea, the United States, Australia and now India have extended their support.
“Who are we to turn down such assistance and such help? And we are, of course, ourselves very willing to also assist those partners, our partners around the world,” Marcos said.
China has continued to encroach upon the West Philippine Sea, the part of the South China Sea within Manila’s exclusive economic zone, despite the Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidating its claims in 2016.
The Philippines has since expanded its partnerships with other countries, diversifying its allies in defense.
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