President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reiterated on Thursday the Philippines will not allow any foreign power to infringe in the country’s sovereign territory.

Addressing the Australian parliament, Marcos said that similar to the situation in World War II, the Philippines now finds itself on the frontline against actions that undermine regional peace, erode regional stability, and threaten regional development.

Marcos is the first Philippine President to speak at the Australian Parliament.

Like in 1942, the country stood firm in defending its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction, he pointed out.

“I shall never tire of repeating the declaration that I made from the first day that I took office: I will not allow any attempt by any foreign power to take even one square inch of our sovereign territory,” Marcos told the Australian legislators.

“The challenges that we face may be formidable, but equally formidable is our resolve. We will not yield," he stressed.

According to the President, the region’s security and continued prosperity rely upon this effort, saying the protection of the South China Sea as a vital, critical global artery is crucial to the preservation of regional and global peace.

We have an abiding interest in keeping our seas free and open and in ensuring unimpeded passage and freedom of navigation, he said.

He said concerned nations must uphold, preserve, and defend the unified and universal character of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as the constitution of the oceans, he said, adding the Philippines draw strength from the consistent and unequivocal support of Australia and the international community for the lawful exercise of its rights.

“This is why our Strategic Partnership has grown more important than ever,” he said.

“We must reinforce each other’s strengths. We must protect the peace that we fought for during the war and have jealously guarded in the decades since. We must oppose actions that clearly denigrate the rule of law,," he said. Presidential News Desk