President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday said the Philippines is exhausting all options to speak to China so as not to further heat tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), Marcos said.

During the media interview in Bacolod, Marcos said the Philippines will keep "trying everything" to prevent the ramming incidents and excessive use of water cannons in the WPS from happening again.

"We are still continuing to talk at a ministerial level, at a sub-ministerial level, at a people-to-people level," Marcos said.

"We are doing everything we can to engage with the Chinese leadership... to avoid clashes, avoid cannons, avoid water cannons, so that it doesn't escalate to that level again," Marcos added.

Marcos also expressed his optimism that the joint exercises in the West Philippine Sea with the country's international allies will result in less aggression from China.

The MMCA held on 7 April within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the WPS, coincided with a Chinese combat patrol in the same area.

"The cruises that we are conducting have been planned for a long time," Marcos said, adding that he received positive reports about the Philippines' naval drills with its allies.

"The interim reports that I am getting is that these are very useful in terms of the interoperability so that each navy knows how the other navy operates, number one; and, secondly, that they learn how to operate together," Marcos said.

Asked if he thinks the multilateral exercises will lessen the confrontations in the West Philippine Sea, Marcos said he "sincerely" hopes so and that the Philippines is really trying to do everything to solve the problem.

VP still mum on China's aggression

In a separate media interview, Vice President Sara Duterte still remained silent on the issue concerning national security, particularly on the current continued Chinese harassment of Filipino vessels in the WPS.

Duterte, who holds the second-highest post in the government, declined to react after two China Coast Guard ships attacked local fish aggregating devices that Filipino fishermen were erecting near Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea.

"No comment. I think the statement of Cong. Paolo Duterte about me and the West Philippine Sea is comprehensive," Duterte said.

Davao City First District Representative Paolo Duterte, said last 27 March that it was not the role of the Vice President and the Secretary of Education to "demonize China or any country for that matter."

"The question on the actions of Chinese vessels in the WPS should be directed to the chief architect of foreign policy, the Secretary of National Defense, and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs,” the Vice President's brother said.