PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Friday was confident that China, a nation he considers as the Philippines’s friend and ally, would not “overdo things” in the hotly-contested South China Sea.
Duterte made the statement, as he maintained that he cannot challenge Beijing’s extensive claims to the busy waterway, as the Philippines “can never win a war against China.”
“Ngayon lang ako nakakita ng isang country na sinolo ang isang ocean. Ngayon, itong mga u*** na ito, gusto nilang... They are attacking me on collateral na I should bar China from fishing, from destroying [the disputed sea]. Gusto nila pumunta ako doon,” he said in an event in Alangalang, Leyte.
(It is only now when I realize that there’s just a sole country that lays claim to the entire ocean. Now, there are stupid people who want me to... They are attacking me on collateral, telling me that I should bar China from fishing, from destroying the disputed sea.
“We can never win a war against China. Kaya ‘yan ang problema natin ngayon (That is our problem now). I hope that China would not overdo things also,” the President added.
The President’s latest remarks came after the United States (US) accused China of carrying out missile tests in the disputed South China Sea.
On Tuesday, July 2, the Pentagon said China’s missile launch near Kalayaan (Spratly) Islands was disturbing and contrary to Beijing’s vow not to militarize the contested waterway.
The Department of National Defense has said the government will investigate China’s alleged test-firing of bassistic missiles in the South China Sea.
China, however, already denied Friday, July 5, the accusation of the US that the Chinese military had conducted missile tests in the disputed sea.
Duterte said maintaining a friendly relations with China would be better, instead of invoking the Philippines’ decisive win in July 2016 in its arbitral case against Beijing’s sweeping claims to South China Sea lodged before the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration.
“How do I enforce the arbitral ruling? Mag-punta ako doon, dala ko Navy ko and I insist and say, ‘Hey, you guys, you go out.’ And China, ‘No, what do you want?’ So magka-giyera tayo,” he said.
(How do I enforce the arbitral ruling? Go to the contested waters, send my Nacy, and I insist and say, “Hey, you guys, you go out.” And China would say, “No, what do you want? A war?”)
“Their missiles can reach from China, Spratly to Manila in seven minutes. So what am I supposed to do? Order my soldiers, navy, marines, (and) police to go there and die? ‘Yun ang gusto nila? Wala man talaga tayong laban. Ni ang America, ayaw eh... But really, wala man tayong away sa Chinese ngayon,” Duterte added.
(Their missiles cna reach from China, Spraty to Manila in seven minutes. So what am I supposed to do? Order my soldiers, navy, marines, (and) police to go there and die? Is that what they want? We cannot defeat them. Even America can’t. But really, we’re okay with China now.) (SunStar Philippines)