The Philippines has remained silent on the missiles issue, citing its new strategy of engaging China under President Rodrigo Duterte's new foreign policy. This is in stark contrast to the position taken by the administration of President Benigno Aquino III, which had slammed China for deploying surface-to-air missiles on Woody Island in February 2016. (READ: Duterte: Remain 'meek, humble' to get 'mercy' of China's Xi)