MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Monday said the Philippines was "doing everything possible" to prevent further deterioration of its relationship with China following several confrontations in the West Philippine Sea.

"We're trying everything, we still continue to talk. We still continue to talk at a ministerial level, sub-ministerial level, people to people level," Marcos said.

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"Lahat nang maaari nating gawin ginagawa natin [para] kausap ang China leadership... Huwag na nating masyadong painitin pa, mag-usap tayo nang mabuti para walang bangaan, walang [water] cannon," he added.

(We are doing everything possible to talk to the Chinese leadership in order to diffuse the tension and avoid further confrontations and water cannon attacks.)

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Asked if the recent maritime activities with other countries such as Australia and Japan would help the Philippines' case, Marcos said "I sincerely hope so."

According to Marcos, the multi-lateral activity on the West Philippine Sea by the Philippines, Australia and Japan has been planned for a long time now.

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"The reports that I'm getting na very useful talaga. Each navy knows how the other navy operates, number 1.  And secondly, they know how to operate together. Maganda naman daw ang takbo," Marcos said.

(I have received reports that it went well.)

Meanwhile, Sen. Francis Tolentino said the recent joint drills would "signal a strong deterrence na hindi tayo basta-basta kayang ma-bully (that we cannot be easily bullied)."

“Sa ngayon, hindi tayo dapat na tumiklop at dapat palakasin natin ang ating, not just our military alliances, but our own internal military capability,” said Tolentino, Chairman of the Special Committee on Maritime and Admiralty Zones.

(We should not kowtow, but what we should do is to strengthen our military alliances and our own internal military capability.)

-- With reports from Romeo Subaldo and Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News