Daven Tamayo

Harapan 2025: Matula supports Marcos' stance on West PH Sea

Article (news)

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FKfJpXvPIeI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>MANILA — Labor leader turned senatorial candidate Sonny Matula supports the Marcos Jr. administration&#x27;s pivot towards the US over the West Philippine Sea, but he stressed the need for the country to have more allies. </p><p>&quot;Kung ang ibig mong sabihin ay itong administrasyon ni Marcos ikumpara sa administrasyon ni Duterte syempre susuportahan ko yung posisyon ng administrasyon ni Marcos na dapat iassert talaga ng ating bansa ang kaniyang karapatan sa West Philippine Sea,” Matula told ABS-CBN&#x27;s Harapan. </p><p>&quot;Nung panahon ni Duterte, eh, although sabi nila strongman si Duterte, palagay ko, eh, hindi totoo yan. Siya po ay very lukewarm kung pag-usapan ang China at ang West Philippines Sea kaya ayaw ko kay Duterte ang posisyon niya doon sa West Philippine Sea,” he added.</p><p>&quot;Palagay ko, kinakailangan naman talaga tayong makipagkaibigan. Pero hindi lang dapat sa US. Dapat sa Japan din, sa Australia at sa iba pang dito sa ASEAN country Dapat katulong din natin sila sa pag-assert ng ating karapatan dyan sa West Philippines Sea,&quot; Matula explained.</p><p>Marcos on Thursday challenged China to cease its &quot;aggressive and coercive actions&quot; against Filipino fishermen and Philippines&#x27; sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea, so he could consider sending back the Typhon missile launchers deployed by the United States.</p><p> &quot;Stop claiming our territory, stop harassing our fishermen, stop ramming our boats, stop water cannoning our people, stop firing lasers at us, and stop your aggressive and coercive actions, and I’ll return the Typhon missiles,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Tigil nila ang ginagawa nila, ibabalik ko lahat yan,&quot; Marcos Jr. added.</p><p>The Typhon missile launchers were moved by the US military from Laoag airfield in the Philippines to another area in Luzon, according top a senior Philippine government source. The Armed Forces of the Philippines had also confirmed this development.</p><p>Philippine military officials have denied China&#x27;s demand to remove the missile launchers from the country&#x27;s territory.</p><p>The Philippine army will start training with US Typhon missile system next month.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/31/-anong-petsa-na-solon-groups-slam-house-inaction-on-impeach-raps-vs-vp-sara-1050">Marcos Jr. on China&#x27;s complaint on Typhon missile system: &#x27;Stop claiming our territory&#x27;</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/27/ph-needs-to-escalate-response-to-china-aggression-in-west-philippine-sea-carpio-1542">PH needs to escalate response to China aggression in West Philippine Sea: Carpio</a></div>

<p>Labor leader turned senatorial candidate Sonny Matula supports the Marcos Jr. administration's pivot towards the US over the West Philippine Sea, but he stressed the need for the country to have more allies.</p>

Labor leader turned senatorial candidate Sonny Matula supports the Marcos Jr. administration's pivot towards the US over the West Philippine Sea, but he stressed the need for the country to have more allies.