THE United States and several Filipino experts congratulated President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on his speech at the 21st International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, strongly condemning the acts of aggression in the West Philippine Sea.
According to Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III lauded Marcos for “eloquently laying out the Philippines’ position on the South China Sea (SCS).”
Teodoro responded by expressing his “appreciation to the US for supporting Marcos’ thesis which underscores the rights of small states.”
The two met on the sidelines of the IISS Dialogue to update each other on the progress made by both countries since the recent SQUAD meeting in Hawaii.
The “SQUAD” is the quadrilateral alliance among the US, Japan, Australia and the Philippines, which had a series of meetings in Hawaii with Austin last month.
In his address, Marcos stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the region while emphasizing that the presence of the United States is important in ensuring regional security and enforcing international law.
Prof. Renato De Castro from the Department of International Studies at De La Salle University said the President’s speech was bold and well-crafted.
“It’s very strong, it’s firm, it is characterized but subtlety and of course sophistication. The fact he mentioned the elephant in the room without mentioning the name of that elephant. We have to give credit for the degree of sophistication on the speech of the President,” De Castro said.
Prof. Don McLain Gill, also from the Department of International Studies at De La Salle University, likewise noted the novelty of such a stance from a Southeast Asian leader.
“President Marcos Jr. making this particular speech is very refreshing coming from a Southeast Asian leader that is able to rally behind him a number of states in the Indo-Pacific. I’m sure that the region is rooted in international law,” he said.
Gill added that the President’s position “resonates with a lot of countries in the region.”
Stratbase ADR Institute seconded said assertion, saying it would “embolden” other nations to insist on international law.
“With his statement, President Marcos Jr. emboldened states to abide by the fundamental tenets of international law as responsible members of the international community. The President’s strong pronouncement is a reaffirmation that we are on the right side of history,” it said.
