PH under Bongbong Marcos: Reviving ties...

Philippines drifted apart during the term of Marcos’ predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, who was more inclined to warm ties with the country’s neighbor China.

Coming from a six-year slump in its relations with the Philippines, Cabalza said the United States is now on a mission to “lure us in trying to show that they are a competent and appropriate partner when it comes to what is happening now in the Indo-Pacific region.” The United States’ aggressiveness in wooing the country, he said, is also because it knows that China is just in the Philippines’ backyard.

‘China can’t lose PH’ the many insecurities they have with the Philippines,” he pointed out. fabricated and vengeful. Cover up all the lies and at the end, truth and justice will prevail.)

Cabalza took note of the 2016 Hague ruling, which the Philippines won against China, declaring that Beijing had no legal basis for its sweeping claims over the South China Sea.

“For China to become a superpower, it has to stabilize that narrative. That they are friends with the Philippines. Because if the Philippines becomes their enemy–with that kind of ruling, their legitimacy as a superpower will be in question,” he said.

China has also repeatedly warned the Philippines against expanding its ties with the United States, especially on matters of defense and security.

Over the past few months, the longtime allies had expanded the access of American troops in Philippine military bases and also conducted their largestever joint military exercises.

Antontio Trillanes IV, another former senator who ran with de Lima, said that “freedom is near.”

“Redemption and vindication are next,” Trillanes said.

De Lima has been imprisoned since 2017, with three drug cases filed against her under the term of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Out of these three cases, two have now been dismissed. 

Despite the continuous encroachment of Chinese vessels in the contested West Philippine Sea and the strong pronouncements of Beijing against Manila’s boosted ties with its rival Washington, Cabalza raised an unpopular point: “China cannot afford to lose the Philippines.”

“I know China cannot afford to lose the Philippines because of our geographic importance. And secondly, because they really would want to address

In less than a year since assuming office, Marcos has made official visits to the United States and China, where he met his counterparts.

Among the things Marcos discussed with Chinese President Xi Jin Ping are a “compromise” that would allow Filipinos to fish again in their natural fishing grounds in the West Philippine Sea and the conduct of joint oil explorations–a plan that was preparing to set sail but immediately sank during the Duterte administration.

In Marcos’ visit to Washington, among the promises made by the United States was that it would have the Philippines’ back on matters concerning the South China Sea. Cabalza also pointed to a pattern: “Whenever our President goes to Washington, Chinese higher officials go to Manila. And when the President goes to Beijing, American higher officials go to Manila.” “In other words, they need us. We are important. And let’s play that game. But of course, it has consequences also. It’s quite a dangerous act for President Marcos but it seems like, based on my reading right now on his actuations and foreign policy, we are on the right track so far when it comes to our foreign policy,” he said. 

Marcos: Abide by Unclos to prevent...

volatile world, we require constraints on power contained by the force of the rule of law,” he added.

Marcos said the rules-based regional architecture should be underpinned by the Centrality of Asean towards inclusive engagement in the Indo-Pacific, as exemplified in the Asean Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, which highlighted the four priority areas of cooperation of the Asean Outlook that will serve as guideposts.

He added that as an archipelagic maritime nation, the Philippines advocates a rules-based maritime order anchored on the 1982 Unclos.

He also noted the country’s concern over recent incidents in the South China Sea, in particular the infringements on its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction, which have been affecting fisherfolk and coastal communities.

“Despite the continued incidents of Filipino vessels in our waters and attempts to deny and obstruct our ability to exercise our sovereign rights in our Exclusive Economic Zone, the Philippines will remain firm in upholding and protecting our entitlements under Unclos,” the President said.

Marcos also urged the utmost restraint and immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar and expressed concern over the heightened tension in the Korean Peninsula, and the humanitarian crisis and the continuing economic impact caused by the RussiaUkraine conflict.

“We continue to call on Myanmar to abide by and implement the Five-Point

Consensus, and for our external partners to complement Asean’s efforts in the context of the Five-Point Consensus,” Marcos said, expressing the Philippines’ full support to Indonesia’s initiatives on the implementation of the FivePoint Consensus.

“The Philippines consistently underscores the need for the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) to abide by prevailing UN Security Council Resolutions and to engage in dialogue with concerned parties towards the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” he added. Regarding the RussiaUkraine conflict and its possible escalation through the use of nuclear weapons, Marcos urged the countries concerned to search for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. 