Respect for Phl Sovereignty Non-Negotiable - Marcos

Saying that the "most significant threat" to peace is faced by the Philippines every day, President Marcos maintained that respect for the country's sovereignty is non-negotiable, as he emphasized the role played by its alliance with the US in upholding the rule of law.

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In his keynote address during the Manila Strategy Forum in Pasay yesterday, Marcos described the relations between Manila and Washington as a "beacon of stability" that continues to stand firm on solid ground.

"The Philippines-United States alliance serves the regional interest of upholding the rule of law and maintaining peace, security and prosperity," the President said.

"We have many bilateral channels of communication and areas of cooperation. But in all of these, respect for our sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction is, and has always been and will always be, non-negotiable," he added.

According to Marcos, the two countries, which signed a Mutual Defense Treaty in 1951, stood shoulder-to-shoulder against the most significant threats to international peace and to security in defense of democracy and the rule of law.

Without mentioning China, Marcos went on to discuss what he described as "coercive, aggressive and dangerous actions" in the South China Sea.