Marcos congratulates Modi on election win, hopes for stronger Philippines-India ties

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday congratulated Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on winning a historic third term in office and expressed hope the Philippines’ partnership with the South Asian nation would grow stronger. 

“My warmest congratulations to Prime Minister @narendramodi for securing a fresh mandate from the Indian electorate,” Marcos wrote on X. 

“The last decade has shown India as a sincere friend to the Philippines & I look forward to the further strengthening of our bilateral and regional partnership in the years ahead,” he added. 

The Philippines and India established formal diplomatic ties in 1949. 

In March, Marcos stressed the need for stronger collaboration between Manila and New Delhi amid security concerns in shipping routes such as the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Indian Ocean. Filipino seafarers comprise a quarter of sea-based workers worldwide.

Marcos also expressed appreciation for India’s support in upholding Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea during a meeting with Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Modi is set to be sworn in for a third term after a close election forced his Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) into a coalition. 

Despite expecting another landslide win, the BJP lost its majority and formed a 15-member coalition with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). — Gaea Katreena Cabico with report from Agence France-Presse