SUMMARY
After back-to-back water cannon incidents in the West Philippine Sea and calls for Manila to reject Beijing’s top envoy here, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appears to be taking a step back, saying it’s important “to be very careful that we do not overreact” when it comes to what he calls the “most complex geopolitical challenge that the world faces.”
Speaking to Philippine media in Tokyo on December 18, Marcos said that while the Philippines is “exerting all efforts” as China increases its presence in Ayungin Shoal, it also needs to make a calibrated response.
“We have to be very careful that we do not overreact, that we do not make mistakes that might be misinterpreted by anyone. Kailangan talaga maingat tayo dahil ‘pag may nangyari ulit diyan (We need to be careful because …