Marcos: PH will not be a ‘belligerent nation’ in China-Taiwan tensions

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday once again positioned the Philippines as a nation focused on deterrence and regional stability, rather than as a combatant, should China invade Taiwan.

During the question-and-answer portion of his attendance at the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines Presidential Luncheon, Marcos asserted that there would be no attacks launched from Philippine territory.

READ: Marcos on tensions over Taiwan: Any conflicts can be resolved peacefully

“The Philippines has no desire to be a belligerent nation in the region. We have no interest in that. All we are concerned about is the defense of our territory and the maintenance of peace and stability in the region,” he responded when asked if he would allow the United States military to launch offensive actions from Philippine bases and territory.

He also said, “That is all that the Philippines is concerned with. That is all that we say the Philippines will promote. That is all that the Philippines will endorse and support. To allow an attack on anyone from the Philippines is contrary to that policy. So we will stick with that policy because all that we do is work hard to maintain peace and stability in that region.”

Marcos said decisions on how the US and other countries would bolster deterrence in the region were ultimately up to their respective governments.

“What other countries choose to do is really not something that the Philippines has much influence on. So, again, what the United States or, for that matter, any other country chooses to do is really an internal matter to them and how they choose to handle their own foreign policy,” he said.

His remarks reaffirmed his previous statement that the Philippines has no intention of being dragged into a China-Taiwan conflict.

But unlike Japan, whose involvement in the tensions is more a matter of choice, Marcos noted that the Philippines would unavoidably be affected in the event of any heightened tensions in Taiwan, particularly since there are almost 200,000 Filipinos working and living on the island.

“We do not want to be involved in any conflict. And just looking at the map, I mean, we’re not talking about politics here; we’re not talking about any other subject except that if there is actual confrontation, if there is conflict. Just looking at the map, you can tell that the northern Philippines, at the very least, is going to be part of that or will feel the effects,” he said during the interview in Malacañang on May 19.

“We will feel the effects in Northern Luzon and probably the rest of Luzon, and we will feel the effects of that, whether we want to or not,” Marcos continued. /das