The Philippines is in the process of acquiring additional BrahMos missiles from India as part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ ongoing modernization program, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos revealed.

In an interview with Firstpost, Marcos emphasized that the military is exploring all available options following the recent announcement of a landmark strategic partnership between the Philippines and India.

"I have spoken to the officers and men who operate the BrahMos system, and they say we need more. Their experience of it, thank God it has never been used," Marcos said.

"But from the demonstrations that they have seen, from the training that they received both in India and the Philippines, the practice runs that they have done, they seem confident with the equipment. I think that we will probably...we are in the process of actually procuring more."

While Marcos did not directly name the increasing tensions in the West Philippine Sea, he made it clear that the country's actions are defensive in nature. The push for enhanced military capabilities, he said, is not an act of aggression but a response to ongoing external pressures.

"Everything is on the table right now. As you may know, the Philippines is in the midst of a modernization of our military. We are looking to see what is most suitable for our defensive needs," he stated.

"Let me be clear, though, we are not gearing up for war. We are simply reacting to the challenges that we are facing. Those challenges, those tensions have increased in the past years. This is just a reaction to that, and we have to do it. It is our duty to defend the country."

The timeline for the arrival of the new BrahMos missile systems was not disclosed in the interview.