President Rodrigo Duterte warned China against drilling and claiming oil in the disputed West Philippine Sea, claiming that this could lead to war.
President Duterte, who considers Chinese President Xi Jinping as “a good friend,” earlier said he would not assert the landmark Hague ruling but would not allow China to monopolize oil exploration in the resource-rich waterway.
“Sabi ko, “Mr. Xi Jinping, we also have a claim. You know we have the award. But I will not insist on recovering the award because it would result in a war, and it will be a massacre. I know. But please be it noted that one day during my term, I will assert,” he said in a speech during the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Visayas Island Cluster Conference in Cebu City on Tuesday.
The President said he would not waste his time answering his critics who have slammed him for his supposed inaction on the aggressive reclamation and militarization of China in the West Philippine Sea.
However, the President said he would not allow China to take full control of the oil exploration in the disputed waterway.
“Ang assert ko, ano? Ano, bakit? Iyong oil. Eh kung solohin mo, gugulo talaga ‘yan. Because if you struck oil now, ano ba naman ‘yang dagat?,” he said.
“Pero p***** i** ‘yung mga uranium diyan, ‘yung mga… Ah mahirap ‘yan. Iyong oil, mahirap ‘yan. Diyan magkadiperensiya na tayo, diyan mo na makita si [Interior Secretary Gen. Eduardo] Año magdala ng sundang didto (magdadala ng itak doon) sa —- panigbason (pagtatagain) ang mga Intsik,” he added.
Malacañang had earlier said the joint exploration between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) could be signed “anytime” before, or even during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Philippines this November. /vvp
READ: PH, China may sign agreement on joint exploration in West PH Sea ‘anytime’ — Palace