Jamaine Punzalan

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. answers media questions, August 8, 2025. Noel Pabalate, PPA pool

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MARCOS

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175488199454220250808-marcos-india-kapihan-NP15.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. answers media questions, August 8, 2025. Noel Pabalate, PPA pool </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. warned Monday that his country would be dragged &quot;kicking and screaming&quot; into any war over Taiwan, but must prepare for it.</p><p>China considers self-ruled Taiwan, Manila&#x27;s closest neighbor to the north, to be part of its territory and has threatened to seize it by force.</p><p>&quot;If there&#x27;s a war over this it is near us. What are we supposed to do?&quot; Marcos told a news conference, adding: &quot;We can&#x27;t ignore it.&quot;</p><p>&quot;So inevitably, despite our fervent wish to avoid any confrontation with anybody, anywhere, a war over Taiwan will drag the Philippines, kicking and screaming into the conflict,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;I hope it doesn&#x27;t happen... But if it does we have to plan for it already,&quot; he said, citing the large numbers of Filipinos working in Taiwan.</p><p>In an interview with Indian news agency Firstpost during a state visit to New Delhi last week, Marcos said that in the event of a confrontation between China and the United States over Taiwan, &quot;there is no way that the Philippines can stay out of it simply because of our physical geographic location&quot;. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/7/ph-will-have-to-get-involved-should-all-out-war-erupt-between-us-china-over-taiwan-marcos-0628">PH &#x27;will have to get involved&#x27; should all-out war erupt between US, China over Taiwan - Marcos</a></div><p>&quot;If there is an all-out war, then we will be drawn into it,&quot; Marcos said in the interview, which was uploaded on YouTube.</p><p>The reported comments angered Beijing, with the Chinese foreign ministry lodging a diplomatic protest and accusing Marcos of &quot;playing with fire&quot; over the issue.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/8/china-irked-by-marcos-remark-on-taiwan-invasion-says-protests-filed-vs-ph-1221">China says protests filed vs PH after Marcos remark on Taiwan</a></div><p>China and the Philippines have engaged in a series of confrontations in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely despite an international ruling that the assertion has no legal basis.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/11/2-chinese-ships-collide-after-chasing-philippine-vessel-in-bajo-de-masinloc-pcg-1102">2 Chinese ships collide after chasing Philippine vessel in Bajo de Masinloc: PCG</a><br/><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/8/3-china-coast-guard-ships-bracketing-batanes-in-rare-intrusive-patrol-1523">3 China Coast Guard ships ‘bracketing’ Batanes in rare ‘intrusive patrol’</a></div><p>Since his election in 2022, Marcos has boosted cooperation between the former US colony and the United States, with which Manila has a mutual defense treaty.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/5/marcos-strikes-defense-deals-in-india-1713">Marcos strikes defense deals in India</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/23/-are-we-not-already-a-target-for-china-marcos-allays-worries-over-planned-subic-ammunition-hub-0924">‘Are we not already a target for China?’: Marcos allays worries over planned Subic ammunition hub</a></div><div><iframe width="1100" height="619" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o3ySNNJp1AU" title="China slams PH defense chief, calls Manila &#x27;troublemaker&#x27; in sea row | ANC" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><iframe width="1100" height="619" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p-7MuZWwPKw" title="PH, India navies hold joint patrols in West Philippine Sea | ANC" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. warned Monday that his country would be dragged "kicking and screaming" into any war over Taiwan, but must prepare for it.</p>

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. warned Monday that his country would be dragged "kicking and screaming" into any war over Taiwan, but must prepare for it.

Marcos says Philippines would be dragged 'kicking and screaming' into Taiwan war

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Marcos says Philippines would be dragged 'kicking and screaming' into Taiwan war

Agence France-Presse

Published Aug 11, 2025 11:16 AM PHT

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