Marcos, Duterte hail PH Navy as guardian of Pinoys, territory

Both Marcos and Duterte delivered their messages in celebration of the 127th anniversary of the Philippine Navy on Tuesday, May 20.

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In his message, Marcos also reaffirmed that the Philippines will never tolerate any disrespect against our sovereignty and told the Philippine Navy that the country will never surrender anything.

"We stand firm. We will never tolerate any act of disrespect against our sovereignty," Marcos said in his speech during the Navy's anniversary celebration held in Subic, Zambales. "We will continue to safeguard our maritime zones and exercise our maritime entitlements, in accordance with international law," he added. "We will not surrender anything, we will not neglect anyone."

While Marcos talked anew about protecting the country's maritime territory, he also reaffirmed the Philippines' commitment to being a responsible member of the international community.

He maintained that the country will continue to engage in all matters diplomatically and uphold the established principles under international law.

The President cited that his administration continues to actively participate in various exercises such as the Balikatan, Sama Sama, Rim of the Pacific, and Multilateral Naval Exercise Kakadu.

He likewise mentioned the staff-to-staff talks with other nations and hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Defense Ministers Meeting Experts' Working Group on Maritime Security.

"All of these are aligned with our broader efforts to foster cooperation and to maintain peace—both within our borders and across the region," he said.

National defense strategy