The Philippines will never become a pawn or tool of the United States, according to the National Security Council (NSC).
This was emphasized by NSC Assistant Director General and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya in response to China’s warning that its People’s Liberation Army would not tolerate any country being used by the US to advance its interests in disputed territories, including the West Philippine Sea.
China also warned that it would crush any foreign interference in its claimed territories.
However, Malaya reiterated that the Philippines, as a sovereign nation, remains determined to defend its territorial integrity, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction.
Malaya further stressed that the Philippine government’s position on the disputed waters is based on national interest and international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 arbitral ruling, which invalidated China’s expansive claims in the West Philippine Sea.