MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Sunday his country is not in the business of instigating wars and will always seek to resolve disputes peacefully, amid escalating maritime confrontations with China.
“In defending the nation, we remain true to our Filipino nature and would like to resolve all these issues peacefully,” Marcos said in a speech to troops from the Western Command unit in charge of overseeing the South China Sea.
Philippine navy personnel and the Chinese coast guard had their latest confrontation last week in the disputed waterway, where the Philippine military said a Filipino sailor was seriously injured and their boats were damaged.
“In the performance of our duties, we will not resort to the use of force or intimidation, nor will we deliberately inflict injury or damage on anyone,” Marcos said.
He did not name China in his speech.
Beijing’s actions during a routine resupply mission to the Philippines have been condemned by the United States, Britain and Canada.
China’s Foreign Ministry disputed the Philippine version and a spokesperson said Thursday that the necessary measures taken were legal, professional and beyond reproach.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual maritime trade, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague said China’s claims had no legal basis, a decision Beijing rejected.