Marcos Jr. defends arbitral award, sounds alarm on 'common threat'

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday strongly defended the 2016 arbitral award under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), sounding the alarm on a "common threat" to the nation's dignity and self-respect. This comes weeks after a China state-run publication released a video depicting Filipinos as monkeys in criticizing the 2016 ruling. "Let me remind our friends and our detractors: Filipinos are a noble, kind, gracious, and great race," Marcos said in his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, prompting a standing ovation. "We are not greedy. We are not racists. We are not liars. We are respectful, and we are dignified. We are Filipinos, and we do not yield." While Marcos did not specify which country his remarks were directed at, his "reminders" to friends and detractors immediately followed a mention of the 2016 Arbitral Award and its upcoming 10th anniversary. Marcos noted the landmark decision, which China refuses to accept, is a "definitive benchmark for the interpretation and application of the [UNCLOS]." "This is not a claim that we advance alone, nor one that we will abandon. Your government will do all that is necessary to continue upholding this Award, utilizing every peaceful and legal means available to the Republic against any attempt, foreign or domestic, to undermine this achievement," Marcos stated. This marks the longest Marcos has spoken on foreign policy or geopolitics during a SONA, a speech typically devoted to domestic policy and plans. The Philippines has explicitly viewed China as a potential strategic and national security threat, with external defense being a priority for the military since the release of the National Security Policy in 2023. Various defense and security officials have also raised alarm over threats to the cognitive space — or operations and efforts to influence how Filipinos feel and think, especially over how the country approaches its maritime and territorial defense. Marcos has said that he wants a "reset" to bilateral ties with China — a goal administration talking heads have echoed. But it has not been easy. China claims almost all of the South China Sea, including areas that are part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which belongs to an area that Manila calls the West Philippine Sea. Just the past week, as Manila hosted Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other top diplomats from all around the world for Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings, maritime confrontations in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal and Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) raised already tense bilateral tensions between the Philippines and China. Marcos himself had summoned Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan to the Palace on July 21 over a confrontation in Ayungin Shoal that left two soldiers injured. In his SONA, Marcos paid tribute to the country's maritime frontliners – the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard, and Filipino fisherfolk – for "giving life to the letter and spirit of the Arbitral Award." He concluded, "To my fellow Filipinos, to these threats to our security, inside and outside our country, we stand with our heads high, together. We may differ in many things, but we are one nation. We are Filipino. Filipino in our thoughts. Filipino in our blood." He added, "To those who look down on us, we do not cower. We do not surrender to the oppressor," prompting another standing ovation. Under former president Rodrigo Duterte, the 2016 Arbitral Award, which handed the Philippines a sweeping victory under UNCLOS, was given little attention as he prioritized better ties with Beijing. Under the Marcos administration, however, the Philippines has made strides in protecting its entitlements in its waters and territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea. – Rappler.com