President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said that he would “maybe send (his) son” on Pagasa Island to “show” that the Philippines’ claim was “clearly good for all generations of Filipinos.”
“Because of our friendship with China and because we value your friendship I will not go there to raise the Philippine flag,” he told about 2,000 Filipinos during his visit to Saudi Arabia.
Duterte has been on a two-day visit in the Middle Eastern country since Monday.
Saudi Arabia is the second-largest employer of Philippine overseas workers, hosting 760,000 Filipinos who send remittances vital to the Philippine economy
On Thursday, Duterte proceeded to Bahrain, and is expected to go to Qatar for the duration of his one-week trip in the Middle East.
The two countries–Bahrain and Qatar–are home to more than 300,000 other Filipino workers, whose welfare Duterte has made a focus of his trip.
“I will not go to any of the islands. Maybe I will send my son, just to show that our claim is clearly good for all generations of Filipinos,” Duterte added to applause.
In Riyadh, the President also emphasized the export of Philippine bananas and pineapples to China, which resumed after he took a conciliatory stance toward Beijing.. (AFP)