Fresh from his landslide victory in the May 9, 2022 presidential elections, then still president-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. delivered a speech as the guest speaker at the Awards for Promoting Philippines-China Understanding (APPCU) at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati on June 10, 2022. Showcasing a still scantily recognized talent for scriptless oratory, for which his father, the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos, had been known for in his lifetime, Bongbong intoned at the ceremonies: "China is the Philippines' strongest partner" and claimed that it "cannot find a greater champion" than his mother, former first lady Imelda Marcos. The reference, of course, was to the fact that it was his parents who paved the way for establishing diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the People's Republic of China in 1975.

Samonte, M. G. (2022, July 9). PH-China relations: a whole new world. The Manila Times, p. A4.