Marcos: Filipinos 'do not yield' on South China Sea ruling

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday vowed to use all peaceful and legal means available to uphold the landmark 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China’s sweeping claims over nearly the entire South China Sea. Marcos made the declaration in his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), as he warned that Filipinos’ unity and collective consciousness were being challenged now more than ever. “A common threat lies before us, directed against our dignity and self-respect as a people. Of late, our very humanity has been called into question,” the President said. “Let me remind our friends and our detractors: Filipinos are a noble, kind, gracious, and great race. 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,” he added. The remarks drew loud applause and a standing ovation from those gathered at the plenary hall of the House of Representatives at the Batasang Pambansa. Marcos said the 2016 arbitral ruling was not merely a claim that his administration “advances 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,” he stressed. Amid continuing threats to the country’s security from within and outside its territory, Marcos called on Filipinos to stand firm and work together. “Dahil tayo man ay magkakaiba sa maraming bagay, iisa lang ang ating lahi. Tayong lahat ay Pilipino—Pilipino sa diwa, Pilipino sa dugo. Manaig nawa ang pagkakaisa, at ang pagmamahal natin sa Inang Bayan at sa kapwa-Pilipino," he said. (We may be different in many ways, but we are of one race. We are all Filipinos—Filipinos in spirit, Filipinos in blood. May unity and our love for the motherland and our fellow Filipinos prevail.) "Sa bagay na ito, hindi tayo magkaka-tunggali. Tayo ay magkakabigkis, tulad ng ating pinamalas sa ating buong kasaysayan,” the President added. (In this matter, we are not against each other. We are united, as we have shown throughout our history.) Echoing a line from the national anthem, Marcos said the Philippines would neither be intimidated nor forced into submission. “Sa mga pang-aalipusta, hindi tayo matitinag. Sa manlulupig, hindi tayo pasisiil,” he added. (In the face of insults, we will not be shaken. In the face of an aggressor, we will not submit.) The President also paid tribute to members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard, as well as Filipino fishermen who continue to patrol and ply Philippine waters despite the risks they face. “To them we owe collective gratitude and appreciation for they gave life to the letter and spirit of the Arbitral Award,” Marcos said. On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China’s sweeping claims over nearly the entire South China Sea had no legal basis under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The ruling stemmed from a case filed by the Philippines in 2013. China has refused to recognize the ruling. — MCG, GMA News