New Delhi, Aug. 7 -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. pushed back against China's narrative that the Philippines is provoking instability in the region at the behest of more powerful nations, saying the country is acting on its own to uphold sovereignty and defend national interest.

In an interview with Indian news outlet Firstpost on Wednesday, Marcos dismissed insinuations that Manila's deepening security ties with countries like the United States and India make it a mere proxy.

"That would imply we do not have our own agency, that we are just bystanders told what to do. That is certainly not the case," Marcos said.

"It does, I suppose, serve that narrative - that we are acting as a... I don't know... as a puppet state to the United...