The Philippines knows how to build friendships. It also knows how to express gratitude to nations that extend help in times of need. However, there is one thing that can never be part of any agreement or friendship: 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐭𝐲.
In his recent Facebook post, Philippine Coast Guard Spokesperson for the 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐚, 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐉𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐚, stated that China is welcome to be a true friend of the Philippines. However, he emphasized that genuine friendship between nations must be built on mutual respect and should never require one country to 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧. According to him, true friendship should never come at the expense of a nation’s sovereignty. Nor should it be conditioned on demands.
