MANILA — Senator Imee Marcos wants the Philippines to be a "friend of all", when she was asked about the Marcos administration’s pivot to the US over the West Philippine Sea. 

"Para sa akin, kailangan kaibigan ng lahat. Friend of all. Tama yun. Pagkat tayo maliit na bansa, pag nagumpugan yung dalawang dambuhalang bansa, tiyak na tayo masasaktan. Kaya kinakailangan, talagang huwag tayong papanig. Isa laban sa kabila, isa laban na naman sa mas malaki pa. Kaya tayo dapat talagang umiwas sa gulo,” Marcos said.

She added that the country should also be self reliant.

"Ang dapat talaga natin gawin ay palakasin at bigyan ng sariling kakayahan ng mga sundalo. Ayan ang kailangan. Dahil puro second hand na lang yung gamit nila, namumulubi na lang tayo at humihingi ng kung ano-ano, hindi naman po pwede yan. Kasi sa hulot-dulo, ang Pilipino pa rin ang magtatanggol ng Pilipinas. Noong panahon ng tatay ko, may defense manufacturing industry tayo. Lahat ng bala, lahat ng machine gun, lahat ng mini cruiser, ineiexport pa natin yun, pati yung mga patrol boat. Ano nangyari ngayon? Lahat yan galing second hand sa kung saan saan. Maawa naman tayo sa ating sundalo, self-reliant defense posture ang sagot,” Marcos said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday challenged China to cease its "aggressive and coercive actions" against Filipino fishermen and Philippines' sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea, so he could consider sending back the Typhon missile system deployed by the United States.

The Typhon missile launchers were moved by the US military from Laoag airfield in the Philippines to another area in Luzon, according top a senior Philippine government source. 

The Armed Forces of the Philippines had also confirmed this development.

Philippine military officials have denied China's demand to remove the missile launchers from the country's territory.

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