Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. told the Australian parliament on Thursday he would not allow any foreign power to take “one square inch” of the country’s territory, and that Manila was firm in defending its sovereignty. “I will not allow any attempt by any foreign power to take even one square inch of our sovereign territory,” he said in a speech. Australia and the Philippines started their first joint sea and air patrols in the South China Sea in November, aimed at countering an increasingly assertive China, which claims the entire sea as its own.

Atienza, K. A. T. (2024, March 1). Marcos promises to defend Philippine sovereignty amid rising China tension. BusinessWorld, p. S1/10.