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6 months ago
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ARTICLE AD BOX
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos pledged on Saturday to continue defending his country's "rights" as the maritime dispute escalates between Beijing and Manila in the South China Sea.
The Philippine President said, during a speech he delivered at a graduation ceremony for officers at the Philippine Military Academy, that his country faces "blatant disregard for internationally established principles."
Marcos called on the new officers to ensure the security of citizens and defend the country's security, in the face of "infiltrators who do not respect the integrity of our lands." The president did not explicitly mention China's name.
Incidents of skirmishes between boats from the two countries are frequent in the South China Sea.
Beijing demands sovereignty over the entire strategic maritime sector, ignoring the demands of the Philippines and other countries, in addition to ignoring an international resolution rejecting Chinese demands, because they are not based on legal foundations.
On April 30, the accident occurred near the Scarborough Shoal reef, located 240 km west of the Philippine coast and 900 km southeast of the Chinese island of Hainan.
The Chinese Coast Guard prevented two Filipino boats from reaching the disputed coral reefs using water hoses, while Beijing, for its part, confirmed that it “repelled” these two boats.
“The Philippines has always relied on the principles of law and our responsibility as a member committed to international laws,” Marcos said.
He added that Manila would not reciprocate the use of water cannons against other people's boats.
English (US)