South China Sea: Marcos says Philippines will ‘vigorously defend what is ours’ as maritime row heats up

The Philippine president told military graduates Manila faced ‘a blatant disregard of internationally accepted principles’

A series of incidents involving Philippine and Chinese vessels near disputed reefs in the waterway have strained ties between the two sides

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Chinese coastguard vessels patrol the Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea on May 17. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 3:50pm, 18 May 2024

The Philippines will “vigorously defend what is ours”, President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr said on Saturday, as Manila’s maritime row with Beijing over the South China Sea escalates.

Marcos told a Philippine Military Academy graduation ceremony that the Southeast Asian country faced “a blatant disregard of internationally accepted principles”.

His remarks follow a series of incidents involving Philippine and Chinese vessels near disputed reefs in the South China Sea that have strained diplomatic ties.

Marcos ordered the graduates to “keep our people safe in their homes, our territory secure, our defences against threats strong, and our democracy stable”.

“Against intruders who have been disrespecting our territorial integrity, we will vigorously defend what is ours,” Marcos said in the speech, which did not specifically mention China.

China coastguard vessels have used water cannon against Philippine boats several times in recent months in the contested waters, where there have also been collisions.