The Philippines will not give up “a square inch” of its territory, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said during the Asia Society forum in New York on Saturday, Sept. 24.
“As I clearly stated in my State of the Nation Address, I will not preside over any process that will abandon even a square inch of territory of the Republic of the Philippines to any foreign power,” Marcos said.
Marcos assured the Filipinos that he will continue to protect the country’s territory and resolve its issues in the West Philippine Sea with China through diplomatic discussions.
“I think it’s no surprise to anyone that the Philippines has some of these conflicts with the People’s Republic of China. And the position that the Philippines takes is that we have no territorial conflict with China. What we have are China claiming territory that belongs to the Philippines,” he added.
“We look to the United States to promote peace, security, and prosperity,” he continued.
Marcos is confident that his administration will resolve the challenges and conflicts of the country through the help of neighboring countries including the United States. – gb