(Eagle News)–President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, April 4, said he would not allow the Chinese to seize Pag-asa Island, but reiterated the Philippines was not ready to go to war.
“Let us be friends but do not touch Pag-asa Island otherwise things would be different,” Duterte said.
But Duterte clarified China “would never do that..”
” I assure you unless China wants a war with us, eh di ako papayag kung pati yung Pag-asa i-occupy nila,” Duterte said.
The President made the statement hours after the Department of Foreign Affairs issued a strongly worded statement against the presence of Chinese vessels near Pag-asa Islands, calling it illegal.
The DFA also urged the Chinese government to “exercise self-restraint with respect to activities in the South China Sea that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability,” as agreed upon by the Philippines and China in last year’s state visit of President Xi Jinping to the Philippines.