Palace says it’s ‘handling’ Scarborough standoff

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang said on Wednesday it wanted a peaceful resolution of the ongoing standoff between the Philippine and Chinese navies in the Scarborough Shoal.

“Certainly, certainly, ” President Benigno Aquino III’s spokesman, Edwin Lacierda, told reporters when asked if the government wanted a peaceful resolution of the problem.

Lacierda said the President was informed about the incident Tuesday night and promptly met with military officials and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin.

“We are handling it,” Lacierda said.