President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. flew to the United States yesterday, hoping that the trilateral summit between the United States, the Philippines, and Japan would enhance freedom of navigation in the West Philippine Sea and strengthen the country’s defense capability. Marcos departed for Washington to meet with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the historic summit slated for 11 April amid rising tensions in the disputed waters. While details of the agreements remain under discussion, Marcos said the summit focuses on establishing a framework for joint actions.

Piatos, T. C., Kabagani, L. J., & Garner, J. (2024, April 11). Historic trilat puts spotlight on sea spat. Daily Tribune, pp. A1, A2.