Manila, Sept. 28 -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday strongly rejected claims made by the Chinese Embassy in Manila alleging that Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. is using the issues in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to bolster his political capital.

In a message to reporters, retired Navy reservist Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, AFP spokesperson for the WPS, said the military is solidly behind Teodoro and "categorically rejects the recent inflammatory statements" made by Chinese diplomats against the defense chief.

He said the AFP's posture in the WPS is rooted in international law, primarily the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the binding 2016 Arbitra...