THE PHILIPPINE military is ready to defend the country against foreign aggression, its top general said on Thursday, in what appeared to be a response to Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s remarks that the country is not prepared for war.

“The AFP stands united and future-ready, not to provoke war but to deter conflict and defend the nation with valor, vigilance and vital partnerships across the globe,” Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Romeo S. Brawner, Jr. said in a statement.

Ms. Duterte at a rally for her supporters in Melbourne, Australia last week said the Philippines should not lean on the US amid its sea dispute with China.

“Her statements undermine our national interest and betray her constitutional duty to protect the security and welfare of the Filipino people,” think-tank Stratbase Institute said in a separate statement.

The Office of the Vice-President did not immediately reply to an e-mail seeking comment.

“The Philippines is not acting on behalf of any foreign power; we are asserting our sovereign rights under international law and the 2016 arbitral award — something she, as a duly elected public official, should be defending,” Stratbase President Victor Andres Manhit said in the statement.

A United Nations-backed tribunal in 2016 voided China’s sweeping claims for being illegal, a ruling that Beijing does not recognize.

Stratbase also condemned China’s “latest act of aggression,” after its coast guard harassed Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels near Scarborough Shoal on June 20 using water cannons and dangerous maneuvers.

“This is not an isolated event but only the latest in a series of unprovoked actions that demonstrate China’s blatant disregard for the Philippines’ sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.

“These acts are unacceptable, reckless and a direct threat to the safety of Filipino personnel conducting legitimate and peaceful activities in our own waters,” he added.

The Philippine Coast Guard last week said two BFAR ships were harassed by the Chinese Coast Guard near Scarborough Shoal, with authorities monitoring two Chinese navy vessels loitering nearby.

A Chinese Coast Guard vessel hit a BFAR ship with a water cannon on June 20 while it was delivering supplies to Filipino fishermen near the shoal.

Chinese ships have repeatedly barred Filipino fishermen from accessing Scarborough Shoal, which lies within Manila’s exclusive economic zone. The atoll is a vast fishing lagoon near major shipping lanes that China seized in 2012 after a standoff with Philippine troops.

The shoal is 240 kilometers west of the main Philippine island of Luzon and is nearly 900 kilometers from Hainan, the nearest major Chinese landmass.

‘DESTABILIZING ACTIONS’
Mr. Brawner on Wednesday met with Malaysia’s navy chief in Manila, where they talked about how to deepen security cooperation between and stressed the need to keep regional stability.

The AFP chief met with Malaysia Admiral Datuk Zulhelmy bin Ithnain during his courtesy visit to Camp Aguinaldo, the Philippine military headquarters near the Philippine capital, according to a separate statement from the AFP.

“The courtesy call reflects the shared commitment of the Philippines and Malaysia to uphold strong defense relations and promote cooperation in addressing common maritime challenges,” it said.

“Both leaders engaged in a constructive discussion on regional security, interoperability and mutual interests in maintaining peace and stability in Southeast Asia,” it added.

Also on Thursday, the Group of Seven (G7) countries cited the need to deepen security cooperation among its members to keep the peace in the Indo-Pacific region, the US Department of State said.

US Secretary of State Marco Antonio Rubio met with foreign ministers of the G7 member states on the sidelines of a military summit in The Netherlands, where they talked about the grouping’s importance in maintaining regional peace in the South China Sea.

“They spoke about the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, deepening cooperation on China’s destabilizing actions in the South China Sea and the role of G7 countries in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” US State department spokeswoman Tammy K. Bruce said in a readout posted on the agency’s website.

China claims virtually the entire South China Sea via a U-shaped, 1940s nine-dash line map that overlaps with the exclusive waters of the Philippines.

Western countries have also voiced concerns over a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Beijing has threatened to annex the self-ruled island, which it views as a breakaway province.

Manila has since diversified its defense alliances with the west and its regional neighbors amid worsening tensions with China in the water way, which is believed to be rich in gas and mineral resources.

“The strengthening of alliances with the United States, Japan, Australia and the European Union is crucial in countering China’s assertive behavior,” 1Sambayan coalition said in a separate statement.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Manila on Thursday urged “certain individuals within the Philippine military” to stop “malicious accusations,” after a Philippine military spokesman linked China to a recent influx of illegal drugs.

“China has the toughest resolve and policy against drugs, and we have one of the best counternarcotics track records in the world,” the Chinese Embassy said.

“We firmly oppose the baseless and malicious accusations made by certain individuals with intention to smear China,” it added.

“It appears that it is not far-fetched that this could be another effort of the Chinese Communist Party to destroy the future generation of Filipinos by flooding our country with illicit drugs,” Philippine Navy spokesman Roy Vincent T. Trinidad told a news briefing on Tuesday. — KCLB with Reuters