President Ferdinand Marcos declared on Monday that the Philippines "cannot yield" in its territorial disputes, following a series of escalating confrontations with Beijing in the South China Sea. "The Philippines cannot yield. The Philippines cannot waver," Marcos stated during his annual State of the Nation address to Congress. The Philippines is embroiled in a longstanding dispute with China over parts of the strategic waterway, which sees trillions of dollars' worth of trade pass through annually.
Without directly mentioning China in his speech, Marcos emphasized that the Philippines would continue to "find ways to de-escalate tensions in contested areas...without compromising our position and our principles". This statement follows an agreement between the Philippines and China on a "provisional arrangement" for resupply missions to Filipino troops stationed at Second Thomas Shoal, a site of recent violent clashes. China claims nearly the entire South China Sea and reinforces its claim by deploying coast guard and other vessels to patrol the disputed waters and reefs.
