Outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed his intention to visit West Philippine Sea even after his term ends.
Duterte said in a speech on Sunday that he is determined to assert what is ours.
“Someday, I could maybe ride with the Coast Guard to see. Even if I am already a civilian … that you can invite me to ride with you… And I could maybe ride with you there in West Philippine Sea. It is a gamble,” he said.
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“But you know, you have at one time in our national life that we have to assert … what is ours,” he added.
Duterte also recalled his conversation with Chinese President Xi Jin Ping where in he insisted on the country’s sovereign rights in disputed waters.
Duterte also believes that a war would not break out between the Philippines and China.
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“At this late day and age of our civilization, I cannot really find a very cogent reason why a war should break out. That is why tayo sa Pilipinas vis-à-vis with China — I’m glad that they have also adopted the same behavior — we continue to talk,” he said.
“But we cannot afford fighting with China. We cannot win and we will lose and the population will suffer. The Filipino nation would be in a very tight situation, a quandary of how to go about I said navigating the geopolitical issues in Europe and here, Taiwan,” he added.
