SINGAPORE- Inihayag ni Pangulong Ferdinand ”Bongbong” Marcos Jr. noong Biyernes na ang bisyon ng kapayapaan sa South China Sea ay nananatiling isang ”distant reality.”
Sa kanyang keynote address sa 2024 IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, sinabi ni Marcos na patuloy ang ilegal at agresibong aksyon sa rehiyon, na labag sa sovereign rights ng Pilipinas.
”We cannot afford any other future for the South China Sea other than the one envisioned by ASEAN: That of a sea of peace, stability, and prosperity,” giit ni Marcos.
”Unfortunately, this vision remains for now a distant reality. Illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive actions continue to violate our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction,” dagdag niya.
Gayunman, nangako si Marcos na hindi papayagan ng kanyang administrasyon na mapahiwalay ang territorial waters nito mula sa buong maritime domain ng bansa.
”The life-giving waters of the West Philippine Sea flow in the blood of every Filipino. We will never allow anyone to detach it from the totality of the maritime domain that renders our nation whole,” ani Marcos.
”As President, I have sworn to this solemn commitment from the very first day that I took office. I do not intend to yield. Filipinos do not yield,” patuloy niya.
Sinabi niya na hindi lamang naninindigan ang Pilipinas sa pagprotekta nito sa “patrimony, rights, and dignity,” kundi maging sa commitment nito sa regional at global peace. RNT/SA
