As the maritime dispute between the Philippines and China heats up, there is but one strategy that must be done to defend the country’s interests in the West Philippine Sea (WPS): military build up. This was bared by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. on Sunday, May 2, as Beijing continues to defy calls by top defense and foreign affairs officials to recall their vessels in the WPS. “In all honesty, what the Philippines needs to do is to build up its military capability,” said Esperon, chairman of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), when asked what is needed for the administration of President Duterte to defend the disputed waters.

Sadongdong, M. A. (2021, May 3). PH must build up its military capability to protect WPS. Manila Bulletin, pp. 1, 8.