Manila, Feb. 9 -- No part of the country's territory, including those in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), will be given up as long the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is on watch, a ranking naval official said on Monday.

In a message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA), Philippine Navy spokesperson for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said the "constitutional mandate of the AFP is to protect national sovereignty, secure the integrity of the national territory and look after the welfare of the Filipino people."

He said the AFP and its three services have never shirked from their duty in going about its mandate.

"Throughout history, the Armed Forces has never wavered in performing this mandate and we have proven it time and...