Philippines pulls back on nuclear pact push, hinting at limits to its diplomatic reach

As Manila’s attempt to act as a middleman in nuclear disarmament falters, analysts question its ability to influence smaller nations

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Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr speaks to military officials in Manila on Saturday. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:30am, 26 Mar 2025

The press release vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Days after the Philippines announced its intent to urge three small nations – Tonga, Bhutan and Nepal – to ratify a global treaty banning nuclear tests, the statement was quietly scrubbed from the government’s website. The sudden reversal left experts wondering: was it a sign of diplomatic overreach, or a calculated retreat?

The retracted statement described a meeting on March 18 between Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and Robert Floyd, executive secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation, during which Marcos reportedly pledged to persuade the three countries, saying: “We’ll do our best. We are familiar with the process.”

But the statement was removed from the Presidential Communications Office website shortly after publication, without any further explanation.

The move has sparked speculation about whether the Philippines is reluctant – or simply unable – to act as a middleman in the global push for nuclear disarmament.

“They’re not really countries we have strong bilateral ties with, so I’m not really sure what the Marcos Jnr administration could do to get them to sign and ratify the treaty,” said Vincent Kyle Parada, a former defence analyst for the Philippine Navy and now a graduate student at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS).

Parada’s concerns reflect a broader tension: while the Philippines has long championed the moral cause of nuclear disarmament, its capacity to influence other nations remains limited.