Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States Marine Corps conduct a live-fire exercise against an imaginary enemy target facing the West Philippine Sea at the Laoag Sand Dunes in Ilocos Norte on May 6, 2024. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Friday explained  the importance of joint maritime drills with Philippine allies in the West Philippine Sea, saying that these help guarantee the peace and stability in the vital waterway.

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“Iyon ang area na binabantayan natin. Kami nagpapasalamat sa lahat ng mga iba’t ibang bansa kahit na hindi... Iyong iba nga ay nanggagaling sa malayo pa ngunit sila ay handang tumulong sa atin at kapag tayo’y nagkakaproblema, very supportive sila hanggang hindi lamang sa salita kung hindi pati na sa mga tinatawag na joint cruises,” Marcos said in an interview in General Santos City.

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The Philippine, US, and French navies earlier concluded the first multilateral maritime drills in the West Philippine Sea for this year’s Balikatan exercises.

“Kaya’t napakalaking bagay ‘yan dahil ito lang ang paraan upang magarantiya natin na ang West Philippine Sea ay patuloy ang tinatawag na freedom of navigation at ang daming dumadaan diyan at ‘yung tinatawag na global economy ay umaasa at kinakailangan para ang global economy ay gumanda, kailangan libre, ligtas ang lugar ng West Philippine Sea,” he continued. 

“Kaya't lahat ng tumutulong sa atin, tayo kasama rin diyan, lahat ng tumutulong sa Pilipinas, kami'y nagpapasalamat at ito ay magiging malaking bagay, malaking tulong para mapayapa at maging stable, may stability ang West Philippine Sea.”

This year's edition of the Balikatan, said to be the largest since its first staging in 1991, will officially end Friday.

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