‘Temper your behavior,’ Duterte tells China

AMID THE Philippines’ long-standing dispute with China over the South China Sea, President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, August 14, asked Beijing to “temper its behavior.”

Duterte made the appeal following the Chinese Navy’s allegedly vociferous warning a Philippine troops conducting aerial patrols in contested waters last August 10.

China reportedly told a Philippine military aircraft flying over the disputed waters to “leave immediately,” or else, they would “bear responsibility for all the consequences.”

Duterte, in response, appealed to China to allow the Philippines to enjoy the right of innocent passage in the South China Sea.

Clarifying that he does not want to pick a fight with China, the President feared that a “hot-head” commander of Beijing securing their artificial islands in the disputed waters may “just press a trigger” one of these days, amid the unresolved sea row.

“You cannot create an island, it’s man-made and you say the air above this artificial island is yours. That is wrong because those waters are what we consider international sea. And the right of innocent passage is guaranteed. It does not need any permission to sail through the open seas,” the President said in a speech delivered in Palace.

“And if it’s nearby a territorial water, you guarantee what you would call the right of innocent passage. So I hope China would temper its -- at least its behavior,” he added.

The Philippines on July 12, 2016 won the case it lodged before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, Netherlands, protesting China’s sweeping claims over the resource-rich South China Sea.

In its 2016 decision, the arbitral court ruled in favor of the Philippines, declaring China’s nine-dash line claim over the contested waters was invalid.

Duterte, however, has repeatedly refused to invoke the Philippines’ victory against China, as he sought to mend ties with China.

Duterte, who admitted to be a “pro-China,” said in his latest speech that he would flaunt the arbitral court’s decision against Beijing in a proper time.

“We are all pro-China... And of course, the South China Sea [is an issue between China and the Philippines]. They have to rethink that because that would be a plus point someday,” he said.

“To this day, China has not even demand[ed] anything. So it’s very clear that the gambit reallty is the [South] China Sea. But one of these days, I said, before my term ends, I assure you that I will talk to them,” he added. (SunStar Philippines)