On May 19, Bloomberg reported that President Marcos made these comments during an interview with Japanese media in Manila the previous day. He emphasized, "The Philippines has no choice," adding, "Taiwan is very close to the Philippines, and nearly 200,000 Filipinos live and work in Taiwan."
He clarified that the Philippines does not wish to be drawn into a war over Taiwan. However, he noted, "If an actual conflict occurs, looking at the map, at least northern Philippines would fall within the sphere of influence or feel the repercussions."
These remarks come ahead of his state visit to Japan next week, where he is expected to discuss security cooperation with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Both Japan and the Philippines are experiencing maritime tensions with China in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.
The Philippines is also engaging in dialogue with China. President Marcos mentioned, "The foreign ministers of the Philippines and China, along with officials from both countries, are scheduled to meet within a month." He expressed the intention to broaden dialogue channels to maintain peace amid the South China Sea disputes.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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