The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, chaired by Senator Imee Marcos, held a public hearing on Monday to examine the Philippines’ stance on the One-China Policy amid rising tensions in the region.
During the hearing, Marcos stated the serious issues that may arise amid rising tensions in the region.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro reaffirmed Manila’s commitment to the policy, clarifying that the Philippines does not recognize Taiwan as a separate sovereign state.
“We do not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state. We leave it to China to resolve this matter,” Lazaro said.
She stressed that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s earlier remarks—criticized by Beijing—were consistent with the country’s policy of non-interference, not a deviation from long-standing diplomatic norms.
Tulfo raps DND no-show
Senator Erwin Tulfo expressed frustration over the absence of Department of National Defense (DND) officials, issuing subpoenas to compel their attendance in future hearings.
“We deserve to know. How can we proceed? The (Foreign Affairs) Secretary’s having a hard time trying to answer these questions, when it is not in her territory. Only the defense department and the Armed Forces of the Philippines can answer all these questions,” Tulfo said.
Lawmakers also raised concerns on how the Philippines would respond under its Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States should tensions in the Taiwan Strait escalate into open conflict.
