The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said that increasing tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) only “ignite” the patriotic spirit of the troops even more.

On Saturday, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel repeatedly rammed the BRP Teresa Magbanua while it was loitering at Escoda Shoal. It is the latest act of aggression by China towards the Philippines.

While this incident may discourage Filipinos in the fight for Philippine waters, the AFP said that the morale of Filipino soldiers remains high.

“We’re continuously monitoring the state of morale of our troops, and we see, as we go along and have this dialogue with them, that the morale of our army and our troops is high,” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said in a radio interview.

“With all of this that’s happening, it’s lighting a flame — the patriotic spirit of each one and their will to fight for the country,” she added.

Padilla noted that more members of the AFP have expressed their desire to serve on the frontlines.

“In fact, we have more troops detailed all over the country who are willing to be stationed on the frontlines in the WPS. We see that everyone, every Filipino, is ignited with the patriotic spirit right now,” she said.