Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. pushed back on Monday against any suggestion that Philippine troops in the West Philippine Sea are there to pick a fight. He said the personnel stationed in the area are defending rights the country holds under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Consistent with earlier government pronouncements, he said the armed forces refute all allegations made against them. The distinction he drew is between lawful defense and provocation, and he wants no confusion about which side Philippine soldiers fall on. His remarks came on the same day the Foreign Affairs Department summoned China's ambassador over comments about a possible confrontation in the disputed waters. Between the summons and the defense statement, the government is working to show a unified front on the waterway.