Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Defends 2016 South China Sea Ruling

Philippine President Defends 2016 South China Sea Ruling

Marcos declared to lawmakers that Filipinos are a noble and a great race and emphasized that the country does not yield to conquerors.

While Marcos did not mention China by name in his address, his remarks followed a tense diplomatic exchange. Last week, Marcos summoned Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan to his office in Manila after the state-owned media outlet China Daily published an editorial video and cartoons depicting Filipinos as monkeys. The animations focused on Beijing’s rejection of the 2016 tribunal decision, which the Philippine government condemned as racist and dehumanizing while demanding its removal.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated that his government would do all that was necessary to continue upholding the award, utilizing every peaceful and legal means available to the republic against any attempt, foreign or domestic, to undermine that achievement.

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian responded by characterizing the South China Sea arbitration as a political farce disguised as a legal proceeding and maintained that the award is illegal, null, and void. In contrast, Marcos described the ruling as a definitive benchmark for interpreting and applying the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, noting that the Philippines initiated the proceedings in 2013 following a standoff between ships at a disputed shoal.

Corruption Investigation Reaches Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez

On domestic matters, President Marcos announced that a special anti-graft prosecutor will soon file corruption charges against his cousin and key political ally, former House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez. Although he did not explicitly name Romualdez at first, Marcos made it clear who he was addressing, stating that the decision was painful but necessary.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. acknowledged that the situation was painful for him, but emphasized that they had to do the right thing, noting that he was not a president for his family nor a president for his friends.

Romualdez, who resigned as House speaker last year but remains a member of Congress, stated that he did not violate the law and is ready to prove his innocence. The investigation involves allegations that Romualdez, alongside several other lawmakers and senators, pocketed kickbacks from government and congressional flood control projects.

According to Marcos, the government has recovered or frozen nearly 25 billion pesos—equivalent to $410 million—in cash and properties belonging to suspects involved in the scandal, with some funds already returned to the national treasury. Several individuals have already been charged and detained in connection with the large-scale corruption probe, including an incumbent senator, a former senator, a former public works secretary who served under Marcos, and various government engineers and construction executives.

Energy Security Focuses on Fuel Price Relief and Nuclear Power

Addressing economic pressures facing ordinary citizens, Marcos discussed administration efforts to cushion the impact of fuel price hikes driven by the war in Iran. To secure long-term energy stability, the president suggested that the nation should reconsider developing nuclear power.

Marcos assured the public that any move toward atomic energy production would be handled carefully. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assured that they would make sure it was safe, adding that the administration will work to explain the benefits of nuclear energy to the public before proceeding.