President Rodrigo Duterte said he insisted that the Scarborough Shoal belongs to the Philippines during his meeting with President Xi Jinping and Chinese officials.
Ang China ang sabi nila amin ‘yan. Sabi ko amin man din ‘yan,” Duterte said in his speech during his visit to calamity-stricken Tuguegarao City in Cagayan.
In his speech in Isabela, Duterte said both he and Xi held their ground in claiming Scarborough Shoal, with the Chinese leader citing China’s supposed historical claim while the Philippine leader presented the award of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
“Alam ko may problema tayong dalawang bansa dahil diyan sa [South] China Sea na inangkin ninyo na inyong lahat. Kami naman ay nanalo at sinabi na sa Pilipinas yan. But anyway, ang problema, ang sabi niya amin talaa ito historically at hindi kami bibigay dito. Sabi ko, lalo na kami, kasi kami ang nanalo sa korte,” Duterte said.
But Duterte avoided a confrontation with Xi, saying both leaders will discuss the territorial dispute in the future.
Sabi niya na we can resolve this case peacefully nang walang away, walang dugo and it will take time. Okay lang, sabi ko, basta balang araw we will continue to talk and one day in the future pag-usapan talaga natin. Di naman pwede na hayaan na lang natin ito nakabitay,” he said.
While both sides insisted ownership of the shoal, he said China has agreed to allow Filipino fishermen to enter the territory, which the Philippines considers part of the territory of Masinloc town in Zambales province.
Ang pagkaalam ko pinaalis na rin ni Xi iyong mga Chinese na fishermen para wala nang makita diyan. Iyon ang pinag-usapan namin,” he said, but added that he was not sure if the Chinese will fulfill their promise.
Duterte said that during his meeting with Chinese officials, he proposed that both countries keep off the shoal’s inner lagoon, the spawning ground of the shoal that also serves as a safe haven for fishermen from tropical cyclones.