Philippines' Marcos wants military presence to defend its waters in South China Sea
MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he wants his country to have a military presence in the South China Sea, "not to fire upon" vessels but to defend its waters in a long-running dispute with China.
Marcos, son of the late autocrat of the same name, is leading in opinion polls ahead of the May 9 election and appears poised to complete a remarkable rebranding of the family name 36 years after a "people power" uprising ended his father's rule.
In the first televised debate of the campaign, with just four of 10 candidates taking part, Marcos floated the idea of deploying navy ships or coast guard vessels in the disputed strategic waterway to allow fishermen to fish freely.
Marcos, 64, said he will not prioritise a military resolution to the South China Sea dispute and would continue the "correct approach" of pursuing a policy of engagement with China.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/philippines-marcos-wants-military-presence-150512860.html