Marcos shares greatest fear on West Philippine Sea in Forbes forum

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President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Thursday shared that his greatest fear in the West Philippine Sea is a soldier making a mistake that turns into "something out of control."

Speaking before foreign business leaders at the Forbes Global CEO Conference in Singapore, Marcos said this was the reason why the Code of Conduct in the said waters was crucial.

“My greatest fear is that some seaman, some soldier, just makes a mistake. And that mistake turns into something that goes out of control. And that’s why the Code of Conduct is very, very important, and we’re working very, very hard. We’re making good progress, as a matter of fact, in terms of the Code of Conduct,” Marcos said.

"I don't know if we can find a resolution to the problem, but we are resigned to just being able to manage the problem so that we do not have mistakes, we don't have misinterpretations,” he added.

Marcos said that he was uncertain if the territorial row could be resolved, but said that it had to be managed. While discussions over the Code of Conduct have been long, Marcos remained optimistic.

“We are determined to come to an agreement and to hopefully de-escalate the situation,” Marcos said.

During the forum, Marcos also reiterated Manila’s claim over the West Philippine Sea, saying that it was his and every Filipino’s duty to protect the country’s territory. He said that in the view of international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the disputed waters belong to the Philippines.

“It is very, very clear that these areas are part of Philippine sovereign territory, and also part of our economic zone," Marcos said.

"And therefore it is imperative on us; I took an oath to defend the constitution of the Philippines, when I took on—every office that I took on—I took that oath, that I will support and defend the constitution of the Philippines, and the constitution of the Philippines defines the territory, the sovereign territory of the Philippines such,” he added.

“That is my duty to do that as president; it is the duty, in my view, of every Philippine citizen to do that same, and that’s what we're trying to do,” he added.

The President’s first activity in Singapore was his attendance at the Forbes Global CEO Conference, where he served as the guest speaker. Marcos addressed 470 business leaders, encouraging them to invest in the Philippines.

China has continuously claimed most of the West Philippine Sea for itself, despite the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration decision that ruled in favor of the Philippines’ claim over its own exclusive economic zone.

Manila’s relationship with Beijing has grown colder under Marcos’ administration, with several confrontations in the West Philippine Sea often leaving Filipino sailors injured.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines reported that in September alone, more than 100 Chinese vessels were roaming around the West Philippine Sea. —NB, GMA News