MANILA – The Philippines will continue strengthening defense cooperation with its allies while ensuring that such engagements remain “purely defensive” and do not provoke conflict, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has said.
In an interview with Russia Today (RT) uploaded on its website on Friday, Marcos said the Philippines is conducting annual joint military exercises with countries, such as the United States and Japan, to enhance the country’s defense readiness as it safeguards its territory.
“The policy of the Philippines is really very simple in those terms. The government of the Philippines is duty bound to protect its territorial integrity and the exercise of our sovereign rights,” Marcos said.
Marcos stressed that the Philippines is not promoting the foreign policy of any other country and has no intention of engaging in or initiating confrontation.
He noted that while the country continues to modernize its defense posture, it remains a non-aggressive state focused on protecting its territorial integrity.
“We are simply trying to make sure that the defense of the Philippines, should it come to that, is solid. And we, of course, we welcome any partners and allies who will help us in that regard,” he said.
“And we certainly have no interest in starting any kind of confrontation with anyone. And in this particular case, I don’t think that it could be said that the Philippines has been aggressive in any way. We are simply defending our territoriality. We are simply defending our sovereignty and the exercise of our sovereign rights,” Marcos added.
He acknowledged that the Philippines “is not a powerful country militarily.”
He also rejected the idea of returning to a bipolar global order, saying global dynamics are now moving toward multipolarity, which allows for more balanced cooperation among nations.
Marcos said the new approach helps maintain stability and manage differences peacefully, particularly amid ongoing territorial disputes in the region.
He said the Philippines’ foreign policy is anchored on national interest and peace.
“The Philippine foreign policy is national interest first and peace. And that is all that the Philippines is interested in,” Marcos said. (PNA)
