Marcos Jr. hints at pursuing foreign policy similar to father’s
MANILA, Philippines — After taking his oath of office at the National Museum on Thursday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. hinted that he plans on pursuing a version of an "independent foreign policy" similar to his father’s.
Marcos Jr. emphasized that it is only the Philippines that knows "what is best" for the country.
"Past history has often proven that. Solutions from outside divided us. None deepened our understanding. They were always at our expense," Marcos Jr. said in his inaugural speech on Thursday morning.
“We resisted and never failed to defeat foreign attempts to break up our country on my father’s watch. His strongest critics have conceded that.”
However, this comes even if the newly inaugurated president has yet to name his secretary of Foreign Affairs. Marcos Jr. also failed to mention specific policies he plans to pursue throughout his vaguely-worded inaugural speech.
On its website, the Department of Foreign Affairs noted that the elder Marcos "redefined foreign policy as the safeguarding of territorial integrity and national dignity, and emphasized increased regional cooperation and collaboration."
The DFA noted that under Marcos Sr., the Philippines joined the Association of Southeast Nations, and "normalized economic and diplomatic ties" with China and the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
The Philippines at the time also allowed the US to maintain bases in Subic and in Clark in exchange for military concessions and economic support.
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