President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ruled out deploying Navy warships in response to China’s growing aggression in the West Philippine Sea. “We are not at war. We don’t need Navy warships,” Mr. Marcos said. The option to deploy gray ships was first floated after Chinese warships with bow numbers 500 and 571 tailed the Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Teresa Magbanua “at the very close distance of 300 yards” on December 4.

Dantes, C. (2024, December 11). PH won’t deploy warships. Manila Standard, pp. A1, A2.