The Philippines will not meet China’s growing assertiveness in the West Philippine Sea with force, drawing a firm line around diplomacy and international law as the country’s only tools for defending its maritime claims. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., Armed Forces chief of staff, speaking at a forum organized by the Stratbase Institute and the Embassy of Japan, said Manila would continue asserting its rights “through peaceful and lawful means,” anchoring its position on the 2016 arbitral ruling under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea that invalidated Beijing’s sweeping maritime claims at the WPS.

Marasigan, L. S. (2026, March 31). PHL's weapons vs Chinese bullying at WPS: diplomacy, international law-Brawner. BusinessMirror, p. A5.