FORMER President Rodrigo R. Duterte explained that the South China Sea dispute between the Philippines and China could be resolved through ongoing discussions.
“But because there is a conflict of interest, let’s just talk and talk,” according to Former President Rodrigo R. Duterte
During his appearance on the “Gikan sa Masa Para sa Masa” program alongside Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy, the former president explained that the issue of contested territories can be resolved through peaceful dialogue with China, primarily because Chinese President Xi Jinping is a compassionate and understanding leader.
Chinese Pres. Xi understands the plight of Filipinos—FPRRD
“You know, President Xi Jinping must be there for us to be safe. We can’t do anything about it. Any other president of China would still insist that it’s theirs. But this man, President Xi Jinping, is compassionate. You can see that up to now, our fishermen are still able to fish. I told him, ‘Please have mercy on us.’ And he understands the plight of the Filipino. It’s as simple as that. And you can see his reaction. Filipinos can still fish there,” FPRRD added.
In fact, during a visit to China, when Duterte met with President Xi, the Chinese leader assured him that China would not attack the Philippines solely based on the West Philippine Sea issue.
“President Xi Jinping is a very good president, soft-spoken,” he added.
Former President Duterte made it clear that the absence of gray ships from both nations indicates a state of peace between China and the Philippines.
“Our coast guard is part of the Department of Transportation, not the Armed Forces of the Philippines. We send them because we do not want war. When there are no gray ships, they send you. Gray refers to the navy. That’s why the Chinese government sends their coast guard too. It means this is not about war. We can argue and have confrontations, but we talk. We cannot send our gray ships, the Philippine Navy’s destroyer or cruiser, whatever,” he said.
To recall, one of the heated issues faced not only by the Philippines but also by China and other Asian countries involves territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
