The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) remains unfazed by the provocative actions of some foreign actors in the country’s territorial waters.

In a press conference at Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday, AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the military will remain ready and prepared to secure the Philippine archipelago.

“In the face of challenges on land, at sea, and in the digital domain, we will not waver. We are steadfast in our mission, knowing that security is not just about defense but about safeguarding the future of every Filipino,” Padilla said.

Meanwhile, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, said the AFP is called upon to demonstrate its readiness and strength in situations where the Philippines faces territorial disputes.

While the military prefers peaceful and diplomatic approaches to addressing territorial disputes, Trinidad assured that the military would not back down when the nation’s interests and security are at stake, particularly when tensions in the WPS are increasing.

“We are a peace-loving people. We are among the most hospitable in the world. But we have a history that if pushed to the edge — if it’s our rights, our freedom at stake — the Philippines would be among the fiercest warriors that mankind has ever seen,” Trinidad said.

Asked if there’s an ongoing military-to-military engagement between the Philippines and China, he responded:

“Currently, subject to guidance from higher headquarters, we will continue our mil-to-mil engagement with any particular country. The guidance is, as of the moment, we have no engagements unless directed otherwise,” he said.

Trinidad noted that the AFP headquarters and the Department of National Defense would dictate the guidance.

He said the Philippines has no existing military-to-military engagements with China since the tension increased in the West Philippine Sea.

Trinidad reiterated that the hierarchy of the AFP and the DND dictate the guidance in terms of military engagement with other nations.

Meanwhile, Trinidad lamented China’s continuous disregard for international law and diplomatic norms in its claim over the entire South China Sea (SCS), which encroaches on the WPS.

“We have other claimant countries, not only China and the Philippines. All other claimant countries have been staking their claim in a peaceful manner — they are open to negotiations, to dialogue with the Philippines, except for the Chinese Communist Party,” he said.

China’s vast claim over the entire SCS overlaps with the Philippines’ exclusive rights to the WPS. Other SCS claimants are Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia.

Beijing’s expansion to a 10-dash line claim encompasses practically the entire WPS.

However, the arbitral tribunal ruling on 16 July 2016, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), had declared with finality that the Philippines has full exclusive economic zone rights in the WPS and that it should have sovereignty and sovereign rights over the maritime territory.

The Philippines and China are both parties to UNCLOS.

The United States is the only country with which the Philippines has a Mutual Defense Treaty. US forces conduct military exercises with their Filipino counterparts, which triggers China to react by saying that the Philippines has been pushing provocative actions along with the US.