Department of National Defense OIC Usec. Jose Faustino Jr. Photo from DND
MANILA, Philippines — The country’s territorial dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea is not definitive of its bilateral relations with the Asian giant, Department of National Defense (DND) officer-in-charge Jose Faustino said Wednesday.
In a forum at the US Embassy in Manila, Faustino echoed the call earlier made by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the Philippines to become “a friend to all and an enemy to no one.”
According to Faustino, the country will persist to strengthen relations with other nations and also “take a stance on various issues such as, but not limited to, asserting the independence of domestic policies from the interference of big countries, and asserting our sovereignty and claims in the West Philippine Sea.”
But he later pointed out that the DND believes Manila and Beijing’s maritime issues “does not define the entirety of our bilateral relations with China.”
READ: Bongbong Marcos wants PH-China ties to go beyond West PH Sea disputes
Faustino then said that the Philippines hopes to have a united front with China on the mitigation of climate change.
“Climate change is one of the biggest threats to the Philippines right now. It’s part of our 10-point defense agenda and also the priority of President Marcos – the threat of climate change which exacerbates natural disasters in the Philippines, especially since we are in a location where we are susceptible to disasters,” he explained.
Faustino assured the public that basic needs affected by climate change such as food, water, energy, and security are “safeguarded.”
“This is being addressed every time we have a Cabinet meeting. We discuss the effects of climate change in our economy, defense establishments, and in all ways of life of the Filipinos,” he added.
US-PH ties ‘stand on its own’
Meanwhile, the United States’ relationship with the Philippines is independent from other bilateral ties, according to US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson.
“The US-Philippine relations stand on its own. It’s not a counterbalance to or response to. It is inherently valuable. It is a long-existing relationship,” she said.
“We are looking for like-minded partners who share the same values. And that inherently includes the Philippines as a key partner, traditionally and historically,” she also said.
Further touching upon the issue of climate change, a concern widely spoken about during the forum, Carlson pointed out that this crisis is tied with other emerging issues in the geopolitical environment such as cyber security.
With these mounting problems, she stressed that the future generation “needs strong leadership.”
“They want transparent rules of the game and predictability so that everything provides a prosperous future for our people. This is what the US and Philippines does all the time. This kind of leadership on a global level,” she added. With reports from Irish Perez, trainee
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