By Jason Gutierrez
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. talked at size about defending the Philippines’ sovereignty amid heightened territorial tensions with China in a speech to Congress on Monday about his first yr in workplace.
Marcos mentioned the Philippines would all the time observe worldwide regulation – a veiled reference to Beijing, which has elevated its encroachment into Manila’s South China Sea waters and continued to harass Philippine vessels since he was elected because the nation’s chief in Could 2022.
“Our journey to progress requires not solely unity and social cohesion amongst our individuals. It’s also crucial that our nation stays intact and inviolable, our sovereignty preserved,” Marcos mentioned throughout his second State of the Nation Handle, which lasted a bit of greater than an hour.
Marcos famous that the Philippines would follow the coverage of being “a buddy to all and enemy to none,” a method that, he mentioned, has confirmed efficient.
“We are going to defend our sovereign rights and protect our territorial integrity, in protection of rules-based worldwide order,” he mentioned.
“With our nationwide curiosity paramount, we’ll all the time pursue fixed dialogue and diplomatic approaches to the decision of any situation which will come up.”
Marcos, the namesake son of a late Filipino dictator, has stepped again from his quick predecessor Rodrigo Duterte’s technique and repaired ties with the USA. Underneath Marcos’ watch, the American navy has been allowed to realize entry to extra Philippine navy bases, as tensions between the U.S. and China construct over Taiwan.
In Could, Marcos turned the primary Philippine president in practically a decade to conduct an official go to to the USA.
Marcos concurrently has been cautious to not alienate China, a key accomplice in Philippine financial progress, though his authorities has filed practically 100 diplomatic protests in opposition to Beijing over its alleged harassment within the contested sea area.
Marcos’ speech highlighted that his administration prioritizes defending the nation’s sovereignty, Don MacLean Gill, a Manila-based geopolitical analyst, instructed BenarNews.
“Extra importantly, and maybe, as a veiled response to Chinese language belligerence and expansive claims, Marcos Jr. reiterated Manila’s adherence in securing and preserving the rules-based order,” Gill mentioned.
The handle “highlighted and re-emphasized Marcos Jr’s dedication in prioritizing the Philippines’ territorial integrity, sovereignty, and sovereign rights amid the exacerbating geopolitical situations of the area,” Gill mentioned.
In the meantime, about 5,000 protesters marched to the Home of Representatives complicated in Quezon Metropolis, Metro Manila, the place Marcos delivered his State of the Nation Handle. They had been peacefully protesting a few of his financial and overseas insurance policies.
Renato Reyes, head of the nationalist group Bayan, mentioned the Marcos administration was not doing something to handle the truth that the Philippines was within the midst of superpower rivalry within the area.
“In his imaginative and prescient of a Bagong Pilipinas [new Philippines], Marcos averted the issue of U.S. navy bases within the Philippines and China’s incursions in our unique financial zone and the way we’re caught between this inter-imperialist rivalry,” Reyes mentioned in a press release.
ICC and drug struggle
Marcos additionally spoke about reforms to the police drive, however mentioned his authorities wouldn’t drop his predecessor’s struggle on medication, including “it has taken on a brand new face.”
Marcos faces questions over justice associated to Duterte’s drug struggle that left about 8,000 suspected drug addicts and sellers lifeless, activists have mentioned.
Final week, the Worldwide Felony Court docket turned down a Philippine attraction to reject an investigation into the drug struggle. Reacting to that ruling, Marcos on Friday mentioned that Manila would now not take care of the ICC nor cooperate with it “in any means, form, or kind.”
In his speech to Congress, he didn’t straight speak concerning the ICC’s choice.
“We are going to relentlessly proceed our struggle in opposition to drug syndicates, shutting down their unlawful actions and dismantling their community of operations,” Marcos mentioned.
He mentioned “unscrupulous regulation enforcers” concerned in drug trafficking had been recognized.
“I can be accepting their resignations,” he mentioned, however didn’t add that he would order their arrest.
Cristina Palabay, secretary common of Karapatan, a human rights group which represents a few of the drug-war victims within the ICC case, took Marcos to job for not speaking concerning the courtroom’s choice in his speech on Monday.
“The supposed new face of his anti-narcotics marketing campaign is merely a rehash of drained, previous PR strains that imply actually nothing within the context of the persevering with extra-judicial killings in his drug struggle,” Palabay instructed BenarNews.
Financial system
Addressing the economic system, Marcos famous that international market situations, such because the battle in Ukraine and the prolonged results of the COVID-19 pandemic continued to have an effect on progress. However the economic system had nonetheless carried out properly, he mentioned.
The economic system grew by a decent 7.6% in 2022, and 6.4% within the first quarter of 2023. Inflation had eased too as the federal government continued to stabilize costs of fundamental commodities, Marcos mentioned.
“On issues of the economic system, there are various issues over which we have now no management,” he mentioned.
“However over these the place we do have management, we’re doing all the things we are able to,” he mentioned, as he requested Congress to maintain supporting the federal government’s fiscal reform packages, together with the passage of a number of key tax legal guidelines.
However those that protested outdoors the Home of Representatives and Reyes, of the group Bayan, mentioned they had been dissatisfied with the Marcos administration’s lack of consideration to employment and labor.
“In his Bagong Pilipinas, there isn’t a point out of nationwide industrialization and sustainable job creation. There isn’t any point out of a considerable wage enhance for employees and staff. … There have been guarantees of native agriculture growth, however these are undermined by the coverage of importation of agricultural merchandise,” Reyes mentioned.
“Bagong Pilipinas … harps on grand guarantees however falls wanting precise advantages for the individuals. In that respect, it isn’t so new in any case.”
Camille Elemia, Jojo Riñoza and Basilio Sepe in Manila contributed to this report.