MindaNews / 27 July 2026—President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr had strong words for China during his fifth State of the Nation (SONA) address Monday, 27 July 2026.
“Sa mga pang-aalipusta, ‘di tayo matitinag; sa mga manlulupig, ‘di tayo pasisiil (We will not be swayed by insults; we will not give in to oppressors),” Marcos said.
Marcos said the country will continue, through legal and peaceful means, to push for the full enforcement of the 2016 Arbitral Award, which marked its 10th anniversary last July 12.
Marcos called the 2016 Arbitral Award as the “definite benchmark for the interpretation and application of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“This is not a claim that we advance alone nor is it one that we will abandon. Your government will do all that is necessary to continue upholding this award, utilizing every peaceful and legal means available to the Republic against any attempt, foreign or domestic, to undermine this achievement,” he said.
Marcos credited the Armed Forces, Philippine Coast Guard, and the fisher folk for giving life to the letter and spirit of the award while patrolling ang plying the West Philippine Sea in the face of great risk.
This was an apparent reference to the many documented incidents of the use of water cannon by the Chinese Coast Guard against Philippine ships and vessels.
“We are Filipinos and we do not yield,” he said.
Marcos also spoke against the recent racist AI-generated video by China Daily featuring a monkey in a Filipino shirt, calling it an assault against Filipinos’ dignity and self-respect.
“Filipinos are a noble, kind, gracious, and a great race. We are not greedy. We are not racists. We are not liars. We are respectful. And we are dignified,” he said, drawing applause from legislators and guests.
The video had earlier elicited a sharp rebuke from the President and from Filipino netizens, prompting Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan to issue a statement on 21 July distancing the Chinese government from the State-run China Daily’s AI-generated video. (JB R. Deveza/MindaNews)
