Marcos says Philippines ‘cannot yield’ territory, bans Pogos during state of union

The Philippines “cannot yield” in territorial disputes, President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr said Monday, after a series of escalating confrontations with Beijing in the South China Sea.

“The Philippines cannot yield. The Philippines cannot waver,” Marcos said in his annual State of the Nation address to Congress.

Manila is locked in a long-standing territorial dispute with Beijing over parts of the strategic waterway, through which trillions of dollars worth of trade passes annually.

Without naming China in his speech, Marcos said the Philippines would continue to “find ways to de-escalate tensions in contested areas … without compromising our position and our principles”.

His remarks came after the Philippines and China agreed to a “provisional arrangement” for resupply missions to Filipino troops stationed at Second Thomas Shoal, which has been the focus of violent clashes in recent months.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea and asserts its stance by deploying coastguard and other vessels to patrol the disputed waters and reefs.

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On Monday, Marcos Jnr also banned gambling operations set up in the Philippines that target gamblers overseas, including Chinese mainlanders, because of crimes linked to the industry.

Marcos ordered the gaming regulator to wind down and cease such offshore gaming operations by the end of the year.

“The grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws must stop,” Marcos said.

The firms had ventured into illegal activities such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, torture and even murder, the President said in his State of the Nation address.

Philippine