Tinagubilinan ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ang mga Pinoy na palaging maging handa laban sa mga external threats bunsod ng tumitinding tensiyon sa rehiyon.
“The external threat now has become more pronounced, has become more worrisome. And that is why we have to prepare,” sabi ni Pangulong Marcos.
Sa kanyang talumpati sa 5th Infantry Division sa Gamu, Isabela, sinabi ni Marcos na ang pagiging malapit ng Pilipinas sa Taiwan ay pangunahing dahilan kung bakit pinag-iinteresan China ang una.
“So, that is the mission that you have before you. Now, you have two missions, whereas before it was only internal security,” paliwanag ni PBBM sa mga sundalong Army.
“We are not trying to take territory. We are not trying to redraw the lines of sovereign territory, the EEZ, the baseline.Hindi natin binabago anything na kahit isang…not even one inch. Ngunit hindi tayo puwedeng pumayag na kukunin naman ‘yan sa atin,” giit ng Pangulo, na siya ring commander-in-chief ng Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Ulat ni T. Gecolea