Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ended his fifth State of the Nation Address on July 27 by making veiled remarks directed at China as he enjoined Filipinos to unite and defend the country’s honor. Marcos mentioned China only once in his speech when he enumerated the countries that provided oil supply after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in March and April. But the last part of his speech alluded to the country’s defensive posture in the West Philippine Sea, even if he did not directly name China. He was obviously referring to the controversial animated video released by a Chinese state media outlet depicting Filipinos as monkeys. The incident was tackled during a meeting between Marcos and the Chinese Ambassador a week before the State of the Nation Address.