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The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is hopeful that two submarines will be purchase under the Marcos administration to protect the country.

“We are considering that we will have submarines in our inventory in the future because we are an archipelago. We need really all types of assets that could protect the archipelago and submarines are one of them,” archipelago, AFP chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said in an ambush interview on Wednesday.

“Hopefully, we can achieve that within the specified time. Remember, what we need is really funds in order for us to achieve the objectives that we set for the Horizon 3 of the modernization program,” Brawner Jr., added.

However, Brawner said the AFP is still looking for other sources as government funding is limited.

“So we are looking into local and foreign financing. That is why we’re getting in touch with the Bankers Association of the Philippines. Sabi naman nila kaya nilang pondohan,” he said.

“And then we’re looking also at the foreign financing. In fact, we have had some offers already,” he added.

Brawner said the military organization is still studying the legality of resorting to external sources for the modernization program.

Earlier, President Ferdinand ”Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said the Philippines has no means of expelling the China Coast Guard (CCG) “monster ship,” which was repeatedly spotted in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

”Well, we don’t have the means na paalisin. Hindi naman – buti kung mayroon tayong aircraft carrier na may kasamang destroyer, frigate, at saka submarine na papupuntahin natin doon para matulak silang palayo. Wala naman tayong ganoon,” Marcos said.

(We don’t have the means to expel them. It’s good if we have an aircraft carrier that has a destroyer, frigate, and submarine that may expel the vessel. We don’t have that.)

”Kung sa palakihan at paramihan lang ng barko, malayo tayo sa China. Pero ang policy naman natin is that we will just continue to defend our territorial, our sovereign territory and our territorial rights in the EEZ,” he added.

(If it’s about the size and number of vessels, we are far behind China. But our policy is that we will just continue to defend our territorial, our sovereign territory and our territorial rights in the EEZ.)

Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country’s claim.

The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China’s claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had “no legal basis.”

China has refused to recognize the decision.