The National Security Council on Tuesday said it welcomes the Filipinos’ call for a stronger military approach in dealing with the increasing tension in the West Philippine Sea. 

Citing the recent poll results conducted by a survey firm, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said 73 percent of respondents want the government to prioritize military action when there are threats to the country's territory and sovereign rights.

“Filipinos, are a people of peace but at the same time, we know how to stand up for what is right, and for what is ours,” he said. 

Heeding the public's call, Año said the government is determined to “progressively build our defense capabilities to effectively deter any and every threat to our nation's peace and security.”

Año noted that 68 percent of survey respondents support the ongoing modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to become more capable of upholding its mandates against foreign aggression. 

“We thank the Filipino people for their support and they can be assured that, guided by the President, we will continue to assert our rights and push back against illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deception tactics,” he said. 

Año said the government, particularly the security sector, would always push for peaceful, diplomatic means in resolving any dispute with any country. 

“Simply put, war is not an instrument of our national policy. However, under international law, we have the inalienable right to defend our people, our territorial integrity, and sovereign rights,” he added. 

The survey also revealed that Filipinos still understand that "there can be no peace without security, and that there will be no security without peace.”

Meanwhile, Año emphasized that the AFP’s modernization is not only meant to upgrade the military defense “but to also improve the country’s readiness and capabilities to conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.”

Hence, he appealed to the Senate and the House of Representatives to support all programs related to fast-tracking the AFP modernization efforts. 

“In order to allow the Armed Forces to fully focus on territorial defense and secure the territorial integrity of the country,” he said. 

Año hopes Congress will continue to allocate sufficient funds for the implementation of the AFP modernization Horizon 3 program.

He said the military upgrade is crucial to implementing the country's Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept and resolving the growing territorial disputes in the WPS. 

Tensions in WPS have been heightened further as there are reports that several China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia vessels were seen loitering in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The Philippines' EEZ covers a range of 370.4 kilometers or 200 nautical miles—when measured from the outer limit of its territorial sea.

Citing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Año underscored that only the Philippines has exclusive rights to explore and use all resources within its EEZ.