Marcos orders AFP to stay firm on West Philippine Sea defense

Article by Marie D.

Published on July 10, 2026 01:30PM

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the Armed Forces of the Philippines to sustain external defense operations as Manila confronts continuing security challenges in the West Philippine Sea, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said. The instruction comes as the government sharpens its defense posture and keeps its plans quiet while adjusting to fast-changing regional threats. ¹ ²

Teodoro said Marcos wants the military to remain focused on protecting the country’s territorial and maritime interests, while the administration continues to recalibrate its strategy without telegraphing its next moves. He also said legal and diplomatic tools remain important, but not enough on their own to stop pressure on Philippine rights in waters near Palawan, especially without stronger deterrence. ¹

At the Armed Forces’ first-semester command conference in Camp Aguinaldo, the President’s guidance reflected a broader shift toward external defense and archipelagic security. The move aligns with official policy language that frames the country’s posture as one meant to secure Philippine seas and territory. ²

Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, speaking at the National West Philippine Sea Summit, said the 2016 arbitral ruling helped win wider international backing for the Philippines’ position. He said that while the ruling strengthened the country’s case, enforcement remains incomplete because Beijing still blocks full Philippine exercise of sovereign rights in areas such as Reed Bank. ¹

Carpio also said any proposal to turn Panatag Shoal into a common fishing ground would require clear rules on fishing seasons, catch limits and sustainability. Without that framework, he said the Philippines should continue pursuing a binding legal process to define such arrangements. ³

Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela separately said China has removed one platform from Scarborough Shoal, but seven other structures and objects remain there. Those include three buoys, three small towers believed to be communications structures, and another barrel-like object, underscoring Manila’s insistence that all installations be taken out. ³ ⁴

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Notes:

¹ Manila Bulletin. Marcos orders AFP to sustain external defense, monitor foreign malign influence. https://mb.com.ph/2026/07/08/marcos-orders-afp-to-sustain-external-defense-monitor-foreign-malign-influence

² Philippine News Agency. Marcos, Army tackle comprehensive archipelagic defense concept. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1224743

³ The Straitstimes. Philippines urges China to remove structure in disputed shoal. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/philippines-urges-china-to-remove-structure-in-disputed-shoal

⁴ Reuters. Philippines urges China to remove shoal structure, warns against island-building. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/philippines-urges-china-remove-new-structure-disputed-shoal-south-china-sea-2026-06-10/