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President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. has said on Monday, July 27, that the Philippine government won’t yield to oppressors and never be shaken by insults as he asserted the 2016 Arbitral Award over the West Philippine Sea claim as final and binding.
“Sa mga pang-aalipusta, hindi tayo matitinag. Sa manlulupig, hindi tayo pasisiil,” Marcos Jr. has said in his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Batasang Pambansa.
“This is not a claim that we advance alone, nor is it 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.”
Moreover, the President has asked the people to stand tall and join in unity in the face of threats to security. “Dahil tayo man ay magkakaiba sa maraming bagay, iisa lang ang ating lahi. Tayong lahat ay Pilipino. Pilipino sa diwa; Pilipino sa dugo.”
To note, that it was last week when Chinese Coast Guard personnel has reportedly assaulted Filipino sailors near a beached vessel at Ayungin Shoal – the first seaborne encounter in months.
In addition, tension between the Philippines and China went high after newspaper China Daily, which is supposedly under the control of the Chinese government, uploaded a racist video which depicted Filipinos as monkeys.
Video shows a monkey wearing a barong tagalog and a traditional Filipino hat while holding a microphone.
Marcos Jr. has honored the Armed Forces, Coast Guard and fisherfolk in their continuous patrol and plying the Philippine seas, though fraught with risks. “To them we owe collective gratitude and appreciation for they give life to the letter and spirit of the Arbitral Award.”
He has underscored: “Let me remind our friends and our detractors: Filipinos are a noble, kind, gracious and great race.”
Sources: Inquirer, ABS-CBN News, Manila Bulletin
