President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday earned the support of Germany in protecting the rights of the Filipino people and the support to international-based order during his three-day working visit in Berlin.
During a joint press conference with President Marcos at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz underscored the importance of upholding international law, particularly laws that govern international navigation such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“I believe it to be important to each and every one, adheres to the legislation in place. We’ve talked about this today, as I said, and I made it clear that we support Philippines in ensuring that the rights are being protected,” Scholz told President Marcos.
For his part, President Marcos said the Philippine government did not reject any proposals that China has supposedly made to the country, except its “premise” that “their territory follows what is now described as 10-dash line, which is not recognized by any country including the Philippines.
The President also stood firm that the baseline of the Philippines was established for years already.
“We have the economic zone that China has already intruded upon. And until that premise that China has made, in terms of all these discussions with Philippines, then it’s very difficult to see a way forward,” President Marcos said.
The chief executive also reiterated that he will continue upholding the Philippine Constitution and protect the people’s rights and the country’s sovereignty. PND