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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Make it memorable': Barbers explains why Marcos should make WPS the main theme of his SONA

'Make it memorable': Barbers explains why Marcos should make WPS the main theme of his SONA

Published Jul 26, 2026 10:56 am

At A Glance

  • Former House quad-committee chair Robert Ace Barbers urges President Marcos to make the West Philippine Sea dispute the central theme of his 2026 SONA, stressing its urgency amid China's recent aggression.
  • The House "Young Guns" bloc echoes this call, demanding clearer government responses and affirming support for the Armed Forces in defending Philippine sovereignty.
  • Tensions escalate as China injures a Philippine Navy sailor at Ayungin Shoal, deploys floating platforms, conducts a missile test, and even claims Batanes, prompting Philippine leaders to condemn these actions as hostile and baseless.
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (left), Robert Ace Barbers (Facebook)
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (left), Robert Ace Barbers (Facebook)

If the flood control project scandal was the overarching theme of President Marcos' State of the Nation Address (SONA) in 2025, former House quad-committee (quad-comm) overall chairman Robert Ace Barbers says the Chief Executive should pick another emotionally-charged issue to discuss this year.
Barbers says the President should take up the West Philippine Sea (WPS) as his main theme on Monday, July 27 before the joint session of Congress.
While Marcos has touched upon the country's territorial dispute with China in the past, Barbers says the President must lean into it heavily this year, in his penultimate SONA.
The former Surigao del Norte congressman and governor said current events also make the topic extremely relevant.
"This will allow him to address the current acts of aggression by China and at the same time correct all the misinformation going around," Barbers said.
"In the same way that he made corruption in government a memorable subject with his quote, 'Mahiya naman kayo (Please have shame),' he should also do that this year, about the [WPS] dispute," he noted.
Barbers says its important for Filipinos to see the government’s unwavering stand for the Philippine sovereignty in relation to China's recent actions.
"In his penultimate SONA, the President must tell our countrymen that the WPS issue if our utmost priority. This will hopefully provide the template for his successor to follow," he said.
President Marcos--elected with a record 31 million votes--will end his six-year term in the Palace in 2028. He will deliver his final SONA in 2027.
Meanwhile the House "Young Guns" bloc also saw the WPS issue as a topic that Maros must not ignore in his upcoming speech.
"In light of the recent concerning incidents in the WPS, we seek clearer and more detailed responses from the administration on this critical matter," they said.
The bloc is composed of Deputy Speakers Paolo Ortega V (La Union, 1st district), Jay Khonghun (Zambales, 1st district); and Deputy Majority Leaders Zia Alonto Adiong (Lanao del Sur, 1st district), and Ernix Dionisio (Manila, 1st district).
"We stand with our Armed Forces and the Filipino people in defending our maritime domain. Diplomacy must be matched with resolve," they said in an earlier statement,
China’s recent actions in the WPS have sharply escalated tensions. At Ayungin Shoal, a Philippine Navy sailor was injured after being struck on the head with a baton by Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) ersonnel during a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre.
China’s recent actions in the WPS have sharply escalated tensions. At Ayungin Shoal, a Philippine Navy sailor was injured after being struck on the head with a baton by Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) ersonnel during a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre.
The incident was condemned as a hostile act, with Philippine officials stressing that Ayungin lies firmly within the country’s exclusive economic zone.
Beyond Ayungin, China has deployed floating platforms in contested waters. These structures are viewed as part of Beijing’s “gray-zone tactics", designed to establish semi-permanent control without openly building military bases.
China also conducted a ballistic missile test in the South Pacific, which observers called a threat to regional peace. Lawmakers and defense officials warned that such tests heighten instability and risk miscalculation, especially in already tense waters.
The aggression has extended beyond maritime maneuvers. Chinese scholars recently claimed that Batanes province belongs to China, as they cited questionable historical interpretations.
Philippine leaders dismissed the claim as baseless and provocative, and reaffirmed that Batanes was an integral part of national territory.
Filipinos were also depicted as monkeys in a video by state-run media outlet China Daily. 

Related Tags

PBBM MARCOS SONA West Philippine Sea China Robert Ace Barbers Young Guns
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