‘Right is might’: DFA says Philippines will defend sovereignty, maritime rights amid regional tensions

Speaking at the Second Manila Strategy Forum, Lazaro said the Philippines’ approach to the West Philippine Sea and the wider South China Sea remains anchored in international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award.

“Our posture in the West Philippine Sea and the wider South China Sea exemplifies this principle,” Lazaro said.

The Philippines, she stressed, “stands resolutely” on the foundations of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award as the “twin anchors of our maritime policy.”

Lazaro stressed that these legal foundations would not be used as bargaining tools.

“These legal instruments are not bargaining chips; they are settled international law,” she said. “Our principled stance remains clear and consistent: Right is might,” she added.

PH seeks diplomacy, but rejects coercion

Lazaro said the Philippines does not seek confrontation but will remain firm in protecting its rights.

“We seek neither confrontation nor escalation, but we will not succumb to coercion,” she said.

She said the Philippines would respond to assertiveness through a combination of legal clarity, defense modernization and continued diplomatic engagement.

“We counter assertiveness with legal clarity, credible defense modernization, and persistent diplomatic engagement,” Lazaro said.

Her remarks come as the Philippines continues to navigate competing security and geopolitical pressures in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the South China Sea.

Lazaro highlighted that international law remains a crucial safeguard for smaller and developing countries, stressing that it allows sovereign states to assert their rights amid growing geopolitical tensions.

“A world governed solely by power reduces smaller states to spheres of influence; a world governed by law enables every sovereign nation to stand tall on equal footing,” she said.

Strategic resilience

Lazaro described the current global environment as one marked by “upheaval, uncertainty and unpredictability,” citing intensifying geopolitical competition, supply-chain disruptions, energy and food volatility, climate shocks and technological rivalry.

She noted that the Philippines needs to build “strategic resilience” to anticipate disruptions, absorb external shocks, protect its interests and expand its diplomatic options.

“For maritime nations like the Philippines, situated at the geostrategic heart of the Indo-Pacific, passivity is not an option,” she said.

“Our reality demands far more than crisis management,” Lazaro added. “It demands strategic resilience.”

According to Lazaro, this resilience requires the Philippines to modernize its traditional alliances while broadening its partnerships around the world.

She cited the Philippines’ alliance with the United States, noting that the two countries are marking 80 years of diplomatic relations and 75 years of their Mutual Defense Treaty this year.

“The 1951 MDT remains the bedrock of our bilateral defense posture,” Lazaro said, pointing to joint activities such as Balikatan 2026.

But she also emphasized that national security now extends beyond military capability.

“National security and economic security are inseparable: to be security strong, the Philippines must be economically strong,” Lazaro said.

Seeking broader partnerships

Lazaro said the Philippines is also strengthening ties with Japan, Australia, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand and other partners while expanding its diplomatic engagement in Europe, South and Central Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa.

She said the strategy is intended to prevent overdependence on any single partner, source of capital or market.

“A nation with diversified relationships possesses greater diplomatic maneuverability,” Lazaro said.

At the same time, Lazaro said Manila remains open to dialogue with China when there is mutual benefit and respect for sovereign equality.

“We remain open to constructive dialogue with China wherever mutual benefit and sovereign equality allow, while remaining uncompromising in the defense of our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction,” she said.

ASEAN as regional anchor

Lazaro also highlighted the Philippines’ role as ASEAN chair this year, saying Manila wants to strengthen the regional bloc’s centrality amid growing geopolitical competition.

“Centrality cannot be a passive slogan. It must be an operational framework that ensures Southeast Asian nations shape regional architecture and prevents our neighborhood from becoming an arena for outside contestation,” she said.

She said the Philippines’ ASEAN chairmanship is focused on three priorities: establishing peace and security anchors, creating prosperity corridors, and championing people empowerment.

For Lazaro, the country’s foreign policy ultimately has to deliver tangible benefits to Filipinos.

“The ultimate benchmark of our foreign policy is straightforward. Does it deliver for the Filipino people?” she said.

She added that the government’s strategic-resilience efforts should help create higher-value jobs, protect industries from external shocks, safeguard Filipinos overseas and preserve the country’s maritime interests.

“This is why we invest in strategic resilience,” Lazaro said. “We do so to guarantee that the Philippines remains the master of its own destiny, secure in its territory, competitive in its economy, and steadfast in its values,” she added.

— Merlina Hernando-Malipot