Trilateral phone call set among Marcos Jr., biden, Ishiba

MANILA, Philippines —  President Marcos is scheduled to have a  phone call with US President Joe Biden and Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba months after their countries held a historic trilateral summit in Washington.

Reports by foreign news agencies quoted the White House as saying that Biden would host the virtual meet during his trip to Rome this week.

Presidential Communications Secretary Cesar Chavez confirmed in a text message that the trilateral phone call is in the calendar of Marcos and is slated for Sunday, Jan. 12.

Information about the agenda of the phone call has not been released.

The three leaders’ meeting comes as China continues to draw concerns over its incursions in the South China Sea, the latest being its deployment of what has been called a “monster ship” that was first seen off the coast of Capones Island in Zambales.

China claims practically the entire South China Sea, a strategic sea lane where $5 trillion worth of shipment passes through annually. An international arbitral court invalidated the claim in 2016, but China insists that the landmark ruling, which stemmed from a case filed by the Philippines, was illegal.

In April, Marcos attended the first ever US-Japan-Philippines trilateral summit in Washington, an event widely seen as a reaction to China’s aggressiveness in the South China Sea, although it tackled not just defense but also economic matters.

During the summit, the three countries assailed China for its “militarization” of reclaimed features, unlawful maritime claims, “dangerous” and “coercive” use of coast guard and maritime militia ships and efforts to bar other countries from exploiting their offshore resources.

They also asked China to comply with the 2016 arbitral ruling upholding the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone.

Also discussed during the summit was fostering cooperation on the Luzon Economic Corridor, which will strengthen the connectivity among Subic Bay, Clark, Manila and Batangas in the Philippines; developing critical and emerging technologies and ensuring clean energy supply chains.