(Eagle News) – “I hope that you treat us as brothers and not your enemies.”
President Rodrigo Duterte made this appeal to the Chinese people in their treatment of Filipino fishermen who want to fish in the disputed waters of the West Philippine Sea.
The President said that he would also not use the Philippine victory in the South China dispute in the ongoing talks with China.
”I will never bring the matter because it might lead to the suspension of the talks and that is not good, Mr. Ambassador. So, I proposed that we have a soft landing everywhere,” the President said as he addressed the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Ambassador Zhao Jianhua in his speech at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on Monday, National Heroes’ Day.
”I will not use the arbitral judgment now, but I would one day sit in front of your representative or you and then I will lay there my position and I would say that this paper, I cannot go out of the four corners of this document and that is the arbitral judgment,” the President said.
Duterte said that the Philippines is not yet ready for war, so “peace is the only way.”
“Maybe give us time to build our forces also. You have so much superiority,” he told the Chinese ambassador jokingly.
The President said he himself has Chinese blood in him, so as most of the Filipinos so it would be best for the Chinese to treat Filipinos as “brothers.”
”It might be that the Chinese people find a place in their heart for the Filipino people, for after all, there is a Chinese blood in me. So I hope that you treat us as brothers and not your enemies and take note of the plight of our citizens,” he said.
The President had earlier expressed concerns over the plight of the Filipino fishermen who are being barred by China from fishing within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea, also known as South China Sea.
”Maybe, just maybe, if we continue and treat each others as brothers and understand specially the plight of the fishermen, that’s why they are there because they are poor,” he said.
