TANAUAN CITY, Batangas – A group of patriotic Batangueños headquartered here has declared full support for President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s foreign policy in exhausting all possible diplomatic means in resolving the tension in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
In an interview on Saturday, Francisco Lirio, chair of the Batangas Forum for Good Governance and Development Association, Inc. (Batangas Forum), said their group is hoping to spark the spirit of nationalism in every Filipino to perpetuate the country’s maritime entitlements and legal claims in the region.
“We want to lead every province in the country to stand up and fight for this common cause for all Filipinos. We need diplomacy because we cannot fight manually so let us exhaust all diplomatic measures,” Lirio said.
At 84 years old, the former Tanauan City mayor and former general manager/chief executive officer of the Philippine Retirement Authority said he wants to join civilian convoys sailing towards the disputed waters.
Lino also agreed that “extreme caution” is needed amid reports of possible “infiltrations in the government, down to the local level.
”The Batangas Forum also released a manifesto expressing its united stand to the country’s cause in the WPS, upholding the landmark ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague in 2016.Its members are “one with like-minded nations of the world that exult in this triumph of the rule of law and convey their respect and admiration for the bold stand of the Philippines,” according to the manifesto.
The Batangas Forum expressed its “strong indignation” against the atrocious conduct and abusive behavior of the China Coast Guard in the WPS.
The group “rallies behind and staunchly supports the President’s bold stand to never cede even an inch of the national territory to any foreign power.
”Batangas Forum is a group of some 150 sectoral leaders, retired diplomats, and captains of industries in the province, which regularly issues united stand in current national issues. PNA
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