‘Friend to all, enemy to none’: Marcos softens West Philippine Sea rhetoric but vows continued defense
Credit to Author: Cristina Chi| Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2025 18:11:00 +0800
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. struck a more diplomatic tone on the South China Sea dispute during his state of the nation address Monday, July 28 — omitting explicit mention of the West Philippine Sea while stressing Manila would defend its sovereignty with "patience" and "restraint."
The softer language this time around on the Philippines' thorniest foreign policy issue is a far cry from Marcos' more forceful remarks in 2024, when he declared during his third SONA that the Philippines "cannot yield" and that the West Philippine Sea "is ours and will remain ours."
That 2024 speech by Marcos — delivered at a time of rising tensions due to Chinese vessels' repeated confrontations with Philippine ships — drew prolonged applause and standing ovations.
But this year's address shows Marcos focusing instead on the Philippines' broader defense posture and thanking countries that have aligned with the Philippines on the South China Sea dispute.
"In the face of new threats to our peace and sovereignty, our preparation, vigilance, and self-defense are now more intense," Marcos said in Filipino.
"Even so, we continue to exercise restraint and remain patient, especially in guarding our entire archipelago and in protecting our interests," the president added. "But now, our confidence is higher because we have more allies who will be our partners in times of great need."
Marcos said that the Philippines' foreign policy remains unchanged: "The Philippines is a friend to all. The Philippines is an enemy to none."
This, the president said, will be the Philippines' main focus as it prepares to lead ASEAN next year.
Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, including waters within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone that Manila calls the West Philippine Sea. A 2016 international tribunal ruled in favour of the Philippines, but China has never acknowledged the ruling.
What's at stake in ASEAN? Marcos' more diplomatic tone comes as Manila prepares to assume the ASEAN chairmanship in 2026 — a role that will require engaging with Southeast Asian neighbors that maintain close economic ties with Beijing and often remain neutral on the South China Sea dispute.
For more than two decades, ASEAN and China have struggled to finalize a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea, with negotiations stalled over key issues — including whether the agreement should be legally binding. The Philippines is hoping to break the deadlock during its chairmanship, as the region's foreign ministers' had vowed in 2023 that the code should be completed by 2026.
Expanding defense ties. This year, the Philippines expanded its defense partnerships, including the signing of a new status of visiting forces agreement with New Zealand in April. This brought the number of countries with visiting forces agreements with the Philippines to four.
Manila has also started negotiations with Canada and France for a similar agreement.
Earlier this year, the Philippines-Japan Reciprocal Access Agreement also went into force following final approval from Japan's Diet. This deal allows both nations' troops to be deployed on each other's soil for exercises — the first defense pact of its kind that Japan has signed with any Southeast Asian country.