Marcos on China’s 10-dash line map: We will respond to this

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Friday said the Philippines would respond to China's publication of its new official “standard” map showing extended claims in the South China Sea (SCS).

Marcos, however, did not specify how the Philippine government would act on this recent act by the Asian Superpower.

"We received the news that now the nine-dash line has been extended to the ten-dash line so these are... we have to respond to all of these and we will. But again, these are operational details that I would prefer not to talk about," Marcos told reporters in Palawan.

"We have stayed true to rules-based international law especially the UNCLOS and that I think puts us in a solid ground in terms of our claims for territorial sovereignty, for maritime territory," Marcos added.

Marcos said many countries have been supporting the Philippines when it comes to defending its sovereignty in the resource-rich region based on international law.

"This has been validated and supported by many many countries around the world and we should take strength in that and I believe that... that again is very big help to the Philippines in continuing to defend our maritime borders," Marcos said.

Philippines rejects 10-dash line map

The Philippines, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, rejected Beijing's publication of a new map that places nearly the entire South China Sea within its national boundaries.

This map infringes Manila's claims in the resource-rich waters.

In a statement, the DFA said the 2023 edition map is China's latest attempt "to legitimize purported sovereignty and jurisdiction over Philippine features and maritime zones has no basis under international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)." 

"The 2016 Arbitral Award invalidated the nine-dashed line. It categorically stated that 'maritime areas of the South China Sea encompassed by the relevant part of the ‘nine-dash line’ are contrary to the Convention and without lawful effect to the extent that they exceed the geographic and substantive limits of China’s maritime entitlements under the Convention,'" the DFA said.

The Philippine government has adopted the name West Philippine Sea to refer to parts of the South China Sea within its territory that are also being claimed by China.

China, the DFA said, should "act responsibly and abide by its obligations under UNCLOS and the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award." 

Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros has urged the DFA to file a protest against China for the release of its new official "standard" map.

Hontiveros called China "delusional" and said the new map is "Beijing's desperate attempt to assert its lies and propaganda."

Municipality of Kalayaan

Meanwhile, Marcos was also asked about the Presidential Decree 1596 that created the Municipality of Kalayaan. It was his father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who signed this PD in 1978.

Marcos said his administration would remain consistent in fighting for the territories that are ours, saying that the government has not changed its approach in defending the territory.

"We were part of a group that I think three countries that established the archipelagic principle of baselines and your EEZ. And we just remain consistent to that. Hindi naman nagbabago, siguro 'yung pag-establish ng municipality na Pag-asa (the establishment of the municipality of Pag-asa will not change), it was... to be able to make sure, to establish, to show, that this is part of the Philippines," Marcos said.

"Of course we will continue to defend our territorial sovereignty, our territorial rights. We have not changed our approach, it is other countries around us that have changed their approach..." he added. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News