MANILA – The Malacañang assured that President Rodrigo Duterte will not give up the Philippines’ sovereign rights over the West Philippines Sea to China.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made the statement after President Rodrigo Duterte said he avoids conflict with China because the country has a huge debt of gratitude.
“We don’t want war with China. China is a good friend, mayroon tayong utang na loob na marami, pati na ‘yung bakuna natin. So China, let it be known China is a good friend and we don’t want trouble with them especially with war,” Duterte said during his Talk to the People on Wednesday evening.
According to Roque, the donated vaccines do not allow China to do anything it wants in the WPS. He stressed that the Philippines’ close ties with China have limitations.
“Malinaw po ang sinabi ni Presidente, may hangganan ang pagnanais niyang pagkakaibigan sa Tsina… Siguro ‘yung pangingisda pupuwedeng mangyari pero pagdating sa langis, ibang usapan na ‘yan,” he said on Thursday.
“Paninindigan niyang hindi mawawala ang teritoryo ng Pilipinas habang siya ang Presidente,” the spokesperson added.
The Chinese government has donated a million doses of Sinovac’s coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines in February.
However, the two countries conflicted when hundreds of Chinese vessels were seen in the WPS. Despite several diplomatic protests filed, China remains unbothered and some of its ships were still in the territorial waters of the country./PN
