On February 29, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered a speech to the Australian Federal Parliament during his state visit, saying that he would not allow any foreign power to occupy "even a square inch" of Philippine territory and vowed that the Philippines will resolutely defend its sovereignty. In November last year, the Philippines and Australia began their first joint sea and air patrol in the South China Sea where sovereignty is disputed.
When Marcos Jr. delivered a speech in the Australian Federal Parliament on Thursday, he said: "The distinguished Prime Minister Albanese, the distinguished Senate President Ryans, the distinguished Speaker of the House of Representatives Dick, the distinguished Opposition Leader Mr. Dutton, the distinguished senators, all Members, please allow me also to pay tribute to the 48 distinguished members of the Philippines-Australia Parliamentary Caucus who are here today; ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Mr. Speaker, please allow me first to pay tribute to the (Indigenous) Ngunawa people I pay my respects to the Ngunnawal people who are the Traditional Custodians of the land where we meet today, and to pay tribute to their elders past and present. I also pay tribute to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are here today."
Marcos Jr. said: "The First Lady and I are delighted to be in Canberra. We thank Governor Hurley for inviting us as guests of the (Australian) government. As the President of a proud and free country, it is a great opportunity to have the most solemn speech in our democracy." There are few other honors that can compare with the honor of speaking to one of Australia's federal parliaments. The enduring friendship between our two great nations transcends 78 years of formal diplomatic relations. This friendship is built on mutual respect and deep Building on strong bonds of affection, these bonds are crystallized today with more than 400,000 Filipinos who have made a huge contribution to Australia and are your country's fifth largest immigrant community. The origins of these bonds can be traced back to the 1860s, The Filipino pearl divers of that time were known as 'Manilamen' and they came to your shores as early spreaders of globalization. These 'Manilamen' contributed to the Australian economy. They enriched the lives of Australians. Most importantly, they create meaningful connections that last for generations.”
Marcos Jr. said: "In 1942, when our two countries faced a common danger, Filipino soldiers fought bravely in Bataan and Corregidor. They faced the impossible task of stopping the enemy's advance, but we did it. These The effort helped keep Australia safe. In return, the grateful Australian people provided temporary refuge to Filipino leaders during the war. Australian airmen, sailors and soldiers fought alongside the Filipinos during the most critical moments, and we and our allies Together we turned the tide of the war. Just as Filipinos gave their lives to keep Australians safe at the beginning of the war, Australians gave their lives to restore freedom to the Philippines when peace came. As allies, we actively participated in shaping freedom A vision of a post-war order for the world. We strive to ensure that a new peace will respect the rights of all nations. As founders of the United Nations, we make this vision a reality."
Marcos Jr. said: "From the beginning, we knew that our interests were intertwined. Australia's security was tied to the security of the Philippines. In 1974, when my father accompanied Prime Minister Whitlam on his visit to Bataan and Koreshi They reaffirmed this core principle during their emotional multi-island tour. Last September, when Prime Minister Albanese and I signed our strategic partnership, we marked a milestone in creating opportunities for our people while promoting a milestone in the thoughtful and steady efforts towards regional peace. All of this is a further affirmation of the relationship that our two peoples have built over many centuries. I look back at our shared history to illustrate this watershed moment for our respective countries. The role it played and continues to play today. Geopolitical polarization and strategic competition threaten our hard-won peace, while we remain beset by unresolved injustices and inequalities within and between countries. Powerful transformative technologies threaten to destabilize our political and social order. Climate change threatens our survival. These structural changes are keenly felt in the Indo-Pacific.”
"Now, we have to envision the shape, the breadth and the depth of our strategic partnership and how we move forward as we weather the storm of global turmoil," Marcos Jr. said. "I think the way forward is between the citizens of our two countries, Building on the strong ties already established between our two economies and between our two governments. Today, as we address our security and defense concerns, we add a new dimension to that relationship. Facing the rule of law Threats to stability and peace, we are once again called upon to work with our partners. For the Philippines, Australia plays a vital role as one of the only two partners of the Philippines to have signed the Visiting Forces Agreement. Important role. Last August, I witnessed Exercise Alon, our bilateral amphibious activity involving 560 Filipino soldiers, 1,200 Australian service members and 120 U.S. Marines. Last year In November, we welcomed the first maritime cooperation activity between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Australian Defense Force in the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone. This is just the beginning."
Marcos Jr. said: “Your leaders have always believed that Australia’s destiny is inextricably linked to the destiny of Asia. Over the years, your country has always adhered to this creed. You have become an important member of the Asian and Indo-Pacific community. Our two countries have always understood that without the predictability and stability of our rules-based order, our region would not be the driving force in the global economy that it is today. We have long known that our prosperity and development is based on peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Today, that peace, stability and our continued success are threatened. We must once again come together as partners to face the challenges facing our region. No one country can do it alone. No one force can meet these challenges alone. That is why our strategic partnership is more important than ever. We must strengthen each other's forces. We must protect what we fought for during the war The peace that was fought for and carefully guarded in the decades since. We must reject actions that clearly denigrate the rule of law.”
"As in 1942, the Philippines is now on the front lines against actions that undermine regional peace, erode regional stability and threaten regional success," Marcos Jr. said. "As then and now, we remain steadfast in defending our sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction." .I will never tire of repeating the statement I made from my first day in office: I will never allow any foreign power to attempt to encroach even one square inch of our nation’s sovereign territory. The challenges we face may be awe-inspiring, but equally What is awe-inspiring is our resolve. We will not give in. Then, as now, the security and continued prosperity of our region - countries like Australia - depend on this effort. As we work to build a rules-based international order Just like the struggle, we are now also fighting to protect this order."
Marcos Jr. said: "Protecting this vital global artery, the South China Sea, is critical to maintaining regional peace and, dare I say, global peace. Keeping our oceans free and open and ensuring unhindered access and freedom of navigation are in our enduring interests. We must uphold, preserve and defend the unity and universality of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as the constitution of the oceans. We receive consistent and clear support from Australia and the international community for the legitimate exercise of our rights. Drawing strength from support, these rights are addressed in accordance with international law”.
Marcos Jr. said: "So, on behalf of the Filipino people, I thank Australia for standing with the Republic of the Philippines. Ladies and gentlemen, we do this through regular exchanges between the (two countries') armed forces and coast guards, including on maritime security, Exchanges in areas such as counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief demonstrate the depth and breadth of our security cooperation. We work together to strengthen and pursue new commercial ties, strengthen our economic security, and develop measures to respond to economic coercion. We work together to promote and strengthening the flow of environmentally sustainable investments, exploring cooperation in areas such as mineral resource development, climate and energy transition. In fact, we have made good progress since the signing of the (Philippines-Australia) strategic partnership last year. At the end of the day, our partners The relationship stems from our shared commitment to ensure that the region stays on a path of peace, builds resilience, and remains focused on delivering dividends for our citizens and communities. Beyond our bilateral scope, we continue to uphold ASEAN's centrality and we will There is an opportunity to reaffirm this commitment at the Special ASEAN-Australia Summit in Melbourne next week.”
"Beyond our region, this commitment is also reflected in our partnerships and active leadership on the international stage," Marcos Jr. said. "We work closely with Australia to strengthen international security and universal observance of international humanitarian law." Al I pay tribute to Prime Minister Barnis for his personal commitment to realizing our vision of a world free of nuclear weapons. This is a commitment shared by the peoples of Southeast Asia and the peoples of Australia and the Pacific Islands. Through the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Treaty, also known as the Bangkok Treaty ) and the Treaty on the South Pacific Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (also known as the Treaty of Rarotonga), our two regions have become nuclear-weapon-free zones. Within the scope of the ASEAN Regional Forum and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, our two countries are Champions of nuclear disarmament and advocates of nuclear risk reduction. There is considerable scope for our two countries to cooperate in the context of emerging technologies such as autonomous weapons systems and 'new frontiers' such as outer space and cyberspace. Our cooperation at the United Nations It shows that it is necessary to continue to build bridges, reach consensus and find decisive multilateral solutions. We cannot let geopolitics paralyze global governance."
“Now, more than ever, we need multilateralism to work,” Marcos Jr. said. “This is particularly important as we address our most pressing vulnerabilities — a vulnerability that threatens the very existence of our peoples, a to the vulnerability of our future – there must be broad global cooperation. I am referring, of course, to climate change. Our country accepts our collective responsibility. Our government is committed to accelerating our efforts to make our country just, affordable, sustainable and inclusive energy transition to achieve carbon neutrality. The Philippines has the potential to become a net carbon sink, absorbing more carbon dioxide than we emit. Yet we are one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, with the world at risk in 2023 No. 1 in the Index. This stark disproportion between the responsibilities we bear and our vulnerabilities reflects an injustice that must be remedied. Developed countries must do more. And it must do it now”.
"Our past successes should inspire us to forge ahead and build the future we aspire to," Marcos Jr. said. "For the Philippines, we continue to see the future in terms of who we are as Asians and as members of the Pacific family. We will continue to work with Our Asian neighbors, including Australia, work together to build a regional community that empowers all our citizens. As Asians, we are committed to delivering on our region's promise as an engine of global growth, true to our mutual respect for each other. Shared values, true to our shared desire to thrive through diversity”.
Marcos Jr. said: "As part of the Pacific region, we have a maritime civilization that spans two oceans in our DNA. This is reflected in our culture that attaches great importance to family, community and the environment. In Australia, we see not only a strong democratic country and an integral part of the Pacific Community, a permanent stakeholder in Asia's future and a reliable supporter of ASEAN's centrality. In Australia, what we see is a natural partner and we are working hard to Defend, preserve and uphold an open, inclusive and rules-based international order to ensure that it always adheres to international law and is based on the principles of fairness and justice. In Australia we see a lifelong friend with whom we have Together he has endured common sacrifices, reveled in common victories, and now pursues common ideals."
Marcos Jr. said: "All these make us confident in the future of the (Philippines-Australia) strategic partnership. This confidence comes not only from our two governments, but also from our two peoples. We selected from nearly 35,000 Filipino students We see this in Australian schools continuing their respective studies and they are the fifth largest group of foreign students in Australia. We also see it in the nearly 30,000 Australians who work and live with us and choose to study in the Philippines home. More importantly, we see this in the spirit of 'community solidarity and cooperation' (bayanihan) and 'friendship' (mateship) that determine the relationship between our two countries. After Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, our 'friendship' Brought Australians to my mother's hometown of Tacloban to provide relief to the victims. 1942 (merchant ship full of Australian officers and soldiers captured by the Japanese) 'Montevideo Maru' (SS Montevideo Maru, sunk off the coast of the Philippines) Our 'community spirit of solidarity' has brought peace to the families of the Australians who died heroically in the incident."
Marcos Jr. said: "It is this spirit that allows our sailors, airmen and soldiers to stand shoulder to shoulder to defend our rights and ensure our common future. Because when (Australia's) Southern Cross and the Pearl of the Orient (Philippines) ) met, the flower of friendship bloomed, withstood the test of war, and thrived in the changes brought about by the changes in the world. Looking to the future, I believe that Filipinos and Australians will remain steadfast partners in our shared future. Unyielding and uncompromising in our values and energized as we work together in the spirit of 'community solidarity' and 'camaraderie'. Thank you all. 'Mabuhay'."
