(UPDATE) PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants a "well-trained" military to deal with external threats that are becoming "more complicated and more difficult" as tensions continue to mount between Manila and Beijing over conflicting claims in the South China Sea.

Addressing the troops from the Army's 9th Infantry Division (ID) in Camp Elias Angeles in Pili, Camarines Sur, on Thursday, the President said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) must prioritize its mission to guard the country's maritime territory.

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