Philippine President Benigno Aquino III has affirmed the Philippines' stance in the brewing tensions over the South China Sea, stating that Philippine military and commercial aircraft will keep flying over the disputed zones despite China's warnings over the airspace.
"We will still fly the routes that we fly based on the international law from the various conventions we entered into," Aquino said.
Tensions between China and the United States have reached an all-time high last week when China demanded a U.S. Navy P8-A surveillance aircraft flying over the Spratly Islands to turn leave Chinese airspace, according to The Jakarta Post.
China has been very vocal about its claim on the disputed waters, lodging a complaint against the U.S. for deploying a spy plane over the Spratly Islands, one of the most fiercely contested areas in the dispute, according to Reuters.
Philippine Defense Minister Voltaire Gazmin stated that he will be meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Wednesday in Hawaii to discuss the Philippines' and the U.S.' stance on the issue.
"I will ask about the extent of the assistance they will give us, what they can do to help us because right now we are being oppressed," he said.
"We feel concerned about what is happening in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). Freedom of navigation, freedom of flight is disrupted so that even U.S. aircraft flying at the international territory are challenged," he added.
Aquino stated that the Philippines will not back down from China, despite admitting that the Philippines is at a clear disadvantage in military might against the economic superpower, according to The Jakarta Post.
"We will still exercise our rights over our exclusive economic zone," he said.
"Bottom line is, it has to be clear, we will defend our rights to the best of our abilities," he added.
China claims almost all of the South China Sea, triggering a fierce territorial dispute between its neighbors. The claims issued by China have been vast, claiming territories approaching the coasts of the Philippines.
