PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan — Boots on the ground, wings on air, and hulls over water?

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff, General Romeo Brawner, assured Filipinos on Tuesday that the government has planned countermeasures against China’s growing aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

In a press conference, Brawner asserted that the AFP would not be deterred from fulfilling its mandate to protect the country’s territory, including the WPS.

“There’s a continuous presence of our uniformed personnel in the West Philippine Sea, and we will continue to defend our sovereignty and our sovereign rights. That’s our main objective,” he said.

Brawner said many WPS operations, including joint sails with allied countries, are underway.

“What we want to assure is that our fisherfolk and our scientific researchers can freely maximize our resources within our exclusive economic zone,” he said.

Brawner said there are counteractions in place.

“We cannot divulge the details, but what we want to tell our kababayans is that the AFP will continue to fulfill its mandate,” he said.