The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday denounced China’s continued insistence on its expansive maritime claims over the West Philippine Sea, emphasizing the country’s sovereign rights under international law.

In a radio interview, AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla responded to a recent statement by Southern Theater Command spokesperson Tian Junli, who accused the Philippines of attempting to cover up its alleged “unlawful violation of China's maritime rights” and disrupting regional peace through “military provocations and media hype.”

Junli also criticized the Philippines for “repeatedly” collaborating with other nations on joint patrols in the contested waters.

China continues to assert claims over nearly the entire SCS, which overlaps with the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the WPS.

Padilla stressed that the Philippines' rights over the WPS are backed by the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“If we look at this, the arbitral ruling in 2016 has ruled in the favor of the Philippines. Therefore, our right is our might. The international law is behind our country,” Padilla said.

She further noted that UNCLOS clearly defines the Philippines’ maritime zones and EEZ.

"It's good to point out that our country, we are not expansionist. We are not interfering in other properties of other countries,” she added.

Padilla reiterated that the Philippines is “merely defending” its territory within the boundaries of international law.

“The international law has already stated that this is our exclusive economic zone. This is what we are not defending. We are not expanding in other places,” she emphasized.

On 12 July 2016, the PCA ruled that China’s claim of “historic rights” within its so-called nine-dash line had “no basis in law.” The ruling overwhelmingly favored the Philippines and invalidated Beijing’s assertions over the WPS.

Despite this, China has repeatedly refused to recognize the decision.

Meanwhile, the Philippines concluded its seventh multilateral maritime cooperative activity (MMCA) with the United States and Canada on 12 February.

AFP Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. confirmed that the military is looking to conduct more maritime security operations and joint sails with other allied nations, including Italy, the United Kingdom, and France.