President-elect Bongbong Marcos has said that he will continue outgoing President Duterte's "independent foreign policy”, even as he hailed it in front of Chinese officials during an event in Makati City Friday, June 10.
Marcos made these remarks during his speech at the Award for Promoting Philippines-China Understanding event held at Dusit Thani Manila hotel.
"I congratulate all of us. We, in the Philippines, are celebrating our 124th Independence Day and together with that we celebrate the 47th commemoration of the signing of diplomatic relations between the People’s Republic of China," he said.
"And it was both a form of independence in both our signing with the People’s Republic of China, it was our independence as well, Perhaps, we will continue what President Duterte has started, what has been describes as an 'independent foreign policy' and this is what we feel is best in the national interest," then 64-year-old said. A brief round of applause interrupted his speech.
Referring to the Duterte government's independent foreign policy, Marcos said, "I think it is to be advantageous not only to our friends in China but to all our friends around the world."
As far as the government is concerned, this independent foreign policy could be best summed up as the Philippines' "friend to all, enemy to none" stance in the community of nations.
But to pundits, this policy could be interpreted--fairly or not--as the country's "pivot to China" at the start of the Duterte administration in 2016.
During Friday's event, Marcos described China as the Philippines' "strongest partner".