President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government will continue to use whatever means to defend its maritime waters, including regular patrols of Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ships and allowing the United States military to maintain its Typhon Missile launchers within the country.

"If we have an aircraft carrier, destroyer, frigate, and submarine, we will send those (to the WPS) to push them back. But we don't have those for now," Marcos said in Filipino.

Marcos, however, assured the country will not back down when it comes to defending WPS, the part of the South China Sea (SCS) within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone.

He said the PCG and the Philippine Navy will continue to deploy their vessels in the WPS to protect the country's territorial integrity.

"No matter what any other foreign power does, that is what we will do. When we detect the presence of a foreign vessel which is beginning to intrude or coming close already to our coastal waters, we will deploy our ships," Marcos said.

"We will always be there protecting our territory. We will always be there making sure our fishermen are able to exercise their sovereign rights. They are always there. That's their mission," he added.

When it comes to the presence of the Typhon missiles in the country, Marcos said China has yet to respond to the condition he set for its removal.

Last week, Marcos said he will ask the US to withdraw the Typhon missile system if China agrees to stop its aggression in the WPS. DMS