Marcos reiterates 'friend to all, enemy to none' foreign policy

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reaffirmed the Philippines' 'friend to all, enemy to none' foreign policy during his fourth State of the Nation Address on Monday.

Marcos emphasized that this policy ensures transparency and adherence to international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea, boosting the country's reputation globally.

Despite a noticeably softer tone in his speech, military operations in the West Philippine Sea remain unchanged, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

The Department of Foreign Affairs has lodged a total of 219 diplomatic protests from July 1, 2022 to May 9, 2025 against China's continued 'illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive actions' in the region.

Marcos noted the importance of exercising restraint while safeguarding national interests and emphasized leveraging partnerships with other countries, such as the United States.