Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says his country will inevitably be drawn “kicking and screaming” in any war over Taiwan due to its proximity and the presence of large numbers of Filipino workers on the self-ruled island,

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wasn’t “playing with fire” when he stated that should an all-out war occur between the United States and China over Taiwan, “there is no way that the Philippines can simply stay out of it.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Monday that Beijing has "misinterpreted" his comments saying Manila will be inevitably drawn in to a conflict between China and Taiwan should one erupt.