NO amount of friendship with China would make him compromise the West Philippine Sea, says President Rodrigo Duterte in his most recent public address.
According to Duterte, China has been a good friend to the Philippines as it owes a lot from the neighboring country but that does not mean Philippines would give up its territorial waters, apparently referring to the donated one million vaccines developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech.
“We have a great debt of gratitude, including for our vaccines. So China, let it be known, is a good friend and we don’t want trouble with them, especially a war,” the President said in his televised public address.
Oddly though, going to war is not an option he’s considering, but maintains that local vessels will remain at the West Philippine Sea, from where the government would observe China’s actions within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
“There are things that are not subject to compromise. That’s difficult, but hopefully, they will understand that I have the interest of my country to protect. It might not be an armed might but it is a claim of sovereignty which I cannot — that is already there,” he added.
“Let us compare it to evolving events. That is ours. China must understand that if need be, we will — I don’t know what will happen next. We’ve done the legal part,” Duterte further averred.
As of yesterday, the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea said five Chinese ships are still wandering in the country’s EEZ.
For the past eight weeks, hundreds of Chinese vessels believed to be carrying militia men have been mooring in formation at the WPS, well within the country’s EEZ, for which the Department of Foreign Affairs filed a series of diplomatic protests against what has been referred to as an incursion.
Following the series of diplomatic protests, the Chinese militia vessels at the Panganiban Reef left only to find out later that they just repositioned elsewhere – but still inside the country’s EEZ.
Duterte has been at the receiving end of nasty criticisms on his policy embarking on friendship with China despite its glaring incursions and aggressions, hoping for the fulfillment of the big-ticket infrastructure promise it made in 2016.
Previously, Duterte issued a statement directed to China which reads:
“I am addressing myself to the Chinese government. We want to remain friends. We want to share whatever it is. As I said to the Chinese government, I’m not so much interested now in fishing. I don’t think there’s enough fish really to quarrel about,” he said.
“If you start drilling oil there, I will really tell China: ‘Is that part of our agreement? Because if it is not part of our agreement, if you start to drill oil there, I will also drill my oil there,’” the chief executive added.