The military supports Vice President Sara Duterte's recent statement that government officials shouldn't be picking fights with any country, noting that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is just "standing up" for Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights.

Speaking at a gathering with Overseas Filipino Workers in Hong Kong on Sunday, Duterte cautioned the Philippine government against picking fights with other countries, including China

"The government or a government official should not pick a fight with any country because bilateral relations are very complicated. It is not just a single matter; there are many aspects to the Philippines' relationship with every nation," she said.

In a briefing in Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday, Roy Vincent Trinidad, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, denied that the AFP is picking a fight with any country in the West Philippine Sea.

"Yes, I support that statement that we should not be picking fights. That is precisely what our government and every agency of our government are doing. We are not fighting with any country in the West Philippine Sea. We are simply standing up for the rights that God has given us—our maritime entitlements, our sovereignty, and sovereign rights," he said.

"By merely standing up for what is rightfully and legally ours, we are not fighting any other country. We are taking this stand because it is the mandate of your (Department of National Defense) DND and AFP," he added.

Trinidad stressed that every citizen of the country "has a moral obligation to stand up for our national interest, regardless of being an individual citizen, a government employee, or an elected official."

"The Arbitral Tribunal of 2016 is a legal landmark that upheld the maritime entitlements of the Philippines. Every Filipino should be proud of it," he added. Robina Asido/PHS