By Karen Lema
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Sunday his country had no intention of fuelling war and would always seek peaceful resolution to disputes amid an escalating maritime dispute with China.
“In defending the nation, we remain true to our Filipino nature, which is to resolve all issues peacefully,” Marcos said in a speech to soldiers of the Western Command, which monitors the South China Sea.
The Philippine Navy and Chinese coast guard said last week that Manila was on a routine replenishment mission in the South China Sea when the collision occurred, seriously injuring one sailor and damaging the vessel.
The Philippine military said Chinese coast guard personnel armed with knives and spears had looted firearms and “intentionally stabbed” a Philippine vessel involved in the mission.
China disputes the Philippines’ explanation, and a foreign ministry spokesman said on Thursday that the necessary measures taken were legal, professional and beyond reproach.
President Marcos did not mention China by name in his speech, but praised the military for showing restraint “amid severe provocation” and said his country would always exercise its freedoms and rights in accordance with international law.
“In carrying out our duties, we will not resort to force or intimidation or intentionally injure or harm anyone,” Marcos said. “We will stand firm. Our calm and peaceful attitude should not be mistaken for acquiescence.”
Recent maritime disputes between China and the Philippines, a U.S. treaty ally in Southeast Asia, have made the highly strategic South China Sea a potential flashpoint between Washington and Beijing.
The United States condemned China’s actions and reaffirmed its commitment under the Mutual Defense Treaty to provide a firm defense against any attack on Philippine aircraft or vessels in the South China Sea.
But the Philippines said on Friday it saw no reason to invoke the treaty because Chinese actions, which security officials have described as escalation, cannot be classified as an “armed attack.”
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a transit point for more than $3 trillion in ship-based trade annually, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague found China’s claims had no legal basis, but Beijing rejected the decision.
“We are not here to foment war. Our great ambition is to provide a peaceful and prosperous life for all Filipinos,” Marcos said. “We refuse to play by rules that force us to choose sides in great power competition.”
(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by William Mallard)
