THE military said Friday it will upgrade facilities on islands it already occupies in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), and build structures on unoccupied submerged lands or rocks, as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Gen. Eduardo Año, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff, said the military would reinforce troops stationed on eight islands and a shoal, and could still take over territory within the country’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.

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