Philippines leader says defending territory, not looking for trouble over S. China Sea

The Philippines is not looking for trouble in the South China Sea but would maintain a strong defence of the country's territory and the rights of its fishermen, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Friday.

"What we will do is to continue defending the Philippines, the maritime territory of the Philippines, the rights of our fishermen to catch fish in areas where they are doing it for hundreds of years already," he told reporters.

"That's why I don't understand why this happened," he said referring to an ongoing spat with China over access to the disputed Scarborough Shoal.