The Philippine government maintains its position to defend territorial sovereignty as it responds to the extended claims of China in its ten-dash line, said President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.
In his visit to Palawan, Marcos said that the Philippines is consistent with its claims and has stayed true to the rules stated by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“Of course, we continue to defend our territorial sovereignty and our territorial rights. We have not changed our approach; it is other countries around us—we received news that the nine-dash line has been extended to the ten-dash line. We have to respond to all these, but again, these are operational details, I prefer not to talk about it,” Marcos said.
China’s new map covers regions beyond its borders, showing 10 dashes and extending its territorial claims to almost the entire South China Sea. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) recently stated that the Philippines has filed a diplomatic protest regarding the issue.
Marcos believed that UNCLOS put the Philippines “in a very solid ground in terms of our claims for territorial sovereignty and maritime territory.”
“This has been validated and supported by many countries around the world. We should take strength in that. I believe that again is very big help to the Philippines in continuing to defend our maritime borders,” he added. (RPG/ PIA Mimaropa – Palawan)
