President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said the Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan because of its geographic proximity and the large Filipino community there. He cited nearly 200,000 Filipinos living and working in Taiwan as part of the reason for likely involvement if fighting breaks out [1, 2].
Marcos stressed that the Philippines does not want to be pulled into a war over Taiwan, but acknowledged that the country's location would make detachment difficult. He said "geography would force its involvement if conflict occurs" [1, 2].
He specifically noted that at least the northern Philippines would be affected or become part of any Taiwan conflict [1, 2]. Despite this, the Philippines maintains its adherence to the One China policy, signaling continued diplomatic alignment with Beijing [2].
The president gave an interview to Japanese media on May 16 in Manila, where he discussed the country's potential involvement and shared insights on regional security [1, 2].
Marcos is scheduled to visit Japan for a state visit from June 15 to June 20 where he will meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The agenda includes discussions on security cooperation between the two countries [1, 2].
