Legarda lauds PBBM’s independent foreign policy
SENATE President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda commended President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) for maintaining his “good relationship” with China and the United States (US).
According to Legarda, the decision of the Chief Executive to maintain a good relationship with every nation “will help the country and the Filipino people.”
“Since the start of his administration, the President has emphasized that we will have an independent foreign policy – ‘friend to all, enemy to none,’” Legarda explained.
She said that in the face of changing political conditions, the country needs to explore additional avenues of open communication without sacrificing the country’s rights or benefits to the country’s natural resources.
“The President’s state visit to China and the planned state visit to the United States mid-year clearly signals how crucial it is to find mutual interest and common ground. We only hope that the reassurances to our fishermen and the high-level bilateral team with full access to the President will bring the needed balance to Philippines-China relations,” Legarda said.
It can be recalled that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) issued a note verbale to China in a continuous effort to assert the country’s sovereignty over claimed territorial waters.
“I am also glad that the President brought up the UNCLOS, which along with the arbitral award, should continue to be the basis of the new relationship being forged,” she said.
