Manila, Philippines – Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay said yesterday that as a nation “we are ready to die up to the last blood” in defending our territories. The warning was directed at China with whom the Philippines is engaged in a territorial dispute over the Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

Today, the 50 Million-strong Filipino National Coalition for Good Government (FNCGG) distanced itself from the vice president’s statement, saying that Binay should speak for himself.  An FNCGG spokesperson said that Filipinos “have enough problems just surviving from poverty, natural disasters, political corruption and social ills, and we are not about to give up our lives over some corral reefs in the West Philippine Sea.”

Embarrassed by the FNCGG statement, Binay backtracked and clarified he was merely referring to the Philippine military which is committed to defend any unwarranted attack by the Chinese on Filipino naval ships and Filipino fishermen’s boats in the disputed area.

But the joint chiefs of staff of the Philippine military also distanced themselves from Binay’s warning to China. “The vice president is not even our commander-in-chief so how can he commit military personnel and resources to fight China to the last drop of our blood?”  a top-ranking general said.

Political observers surmised that Binay was trying to project an image of a tough leader with a no-nonsense foreign policy as he positions himself for the 2016 Philippine presidential elections.

The Adobo Chronicles just learned that the vice president has fired his speech writer.