Muling iginiit ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. nitong Linggo na hindi nito isusuko ang anumang bahagi ng teritoryo ng Pilipinas sa gitna ng umiiral na territorial dispute sa West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“As I have said before, and I will say again, the Philippines will not give up a single square inch of our territory to any foreign power. The law is clear as defined by UNCLOS and the final and binding 2016 Award on the South China Sea Arbitration,” pahayag ni Marcos sa naganap na Daniel Inouye Speaker Series for the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies sa Honolulu, Hawaii.
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“Supported by the rules-based international order and our growing partnerships, both time-tested and new ones, we will insist on the preservation of the sovereignty and integrity of the country, while working closely with international partners in the bilateral, regional, and multilateral settings in developing rules and processes to address these challenges," anang Pangulo.
Ayon sa Pangulo, patuloy pa rin niyang susundin ang international law kaugnay ng usapin sa WPS at palalakasin pa ang alyansa nito sa iba't ibang bansa.
Bukod dito, aniya, kailangan ding i-upgrade ang defense at civilian law enforcement capabilities ng Pilipinas upang maipagtanggol nito ang kanilang sarili at maging reliable partner din sa regional security.
Ang nasabing pahayag ni Marcos kaugnay ng usapin sa WPS ay una na niyang isinapubliko nang dumalo ito sa alumni homecoming ng Philippine Military Academy sa Baguio City noong Pebrero 2023 kasunod na rin ng panunutok ng military-grade laser ng Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) sa barko ng Philippine Coast Guard sa Ayungin Shoal noong Pebrero 6.
