"We are saying that we have a Navy that is practically non-existent," he said at a joint news conference with legislators who are considering defense department appeals to upgrade the fleet.

Prospero Pichay, the head of the House of Representatives defense committee, said that of the 114 vessels in the Philippine Navy fleet, "only 56 percent are operational."

He said the military was seeking congressional approval to spend a portion of the five billion-peso (91 million-dollar) special budget for the modernisation of the military to repair some naval vessels.

The Southeast Asian archipelago is in a territorial dispute with neighbors including China over small groups of islands in the South China Sea, such as the Spratlys. Manila is also under pressure to curb smuggling and poaching.

Philippine Navy commander Rear Admiral Ernesto de Leon said: "In terms of external defense, we are the least capable" in Southeast Asia.

WAR.WIRE