Philippine military chief visits island in disputed waters, SE Asia News & Top Stories – The Straits Times

MANILA (REUTERS) – The head of the Philippine armed forces visited a coral-fringed island his country occupies in the South China Sea this week, a move that could stoke already heightened tensions between Manila and Beijing in disputed waters claimed by both countries. During Monday’s (June 7) visit, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Cirilito Sobejana commended the soldiers for the role they played in protecting the island’s residents and “guarding the country’s territories” in the strategic waterway. The visit comes after recent diplomatic protests made by the Philippines over what it says is the illegal presence of hundreds…