SUMMARY
MANILA, Philippines – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered his armed forces to defuse tensions in the West Philippine Sea, his military chief said on Thursday, July 4, after a flare-up with China over missions to resupply Filipino troops on a contested shoal.
Marcos’ instructions came after Manila and Beijing agreed on the need to restore trust and confidence to better manage maritime disputes during a round of talks which Manila hosted on Tuesday, July 2.
But that did not stop the Philippine military from calling for China to return the firearms that its coast guard seized from Filipino navy personnel and pay around $1 million in compensation for damaging vessels involved in last month’s resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal).
“I demanded th…