President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Thursday reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to defend the country’s rights amid China’s continuing agression in Philippine waters.

 The Philippine leader was responding to the presence of China’s deployment of its so-called “monster ship” in the West Philippine Sea.

 The President said that the Philippine Navy and Coast Guard will continue to perform its mandate to ensure the protection of the country’s territorial integrity amid these unlawful incursions.

 “Well, we don’t have the means na paalisin.  Hindi naman – buti kung mayroon tayong aircraft carrier na may kasamang destroyer, frigate, at saka submarine na papupuntahin natin doon para matulak silang palayo. Wala naman tayong ganoon,” Marcos Jr. told reporters in a Palace briefing.

 “Kung sa palakihan at paramihan lang ng barko, malayo tayo sa China. Pero ang policy naman natin is that we will just continue to defend our territorial, our sovereign territory and our territorial rights in the EEZ. ‘Yun lang. Kahit ano pa…ang iniisip namin, ano bang mission ng Coast Guard? Ano bang mission ng Navy? To protect the territorial integrity of the Philippines. So, that’s what they will do. They will continue to do that no matter what any other foreign power does, that is what we will do,” he continued.

 “They will always find the Philippine presence. No matter what they do. Kahit na – iyon na nga, kahit na banggain na ‘yung barko natin, kahit na mag-water cannon  sila, mag-laser sila, kahit kung ano pang gawin nila, mag-block sila, laging nandiyan ang Pilipinas. We will always be there protecting our territory. We will always be there making sure our fishermen are able to exercise their sovereign rights. Nandiyan lagi.”