Duterte on Chinese occupation: ‘It will be bloody’

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte on Wednesday warned of a “bloody” war with China in the event of its military “occupying” the Philippines, even as he continued to express hope for bilateral talks on the maritime dispute with China “within the year.”

“I hope China is dealing with us in good faith. They seem to be conciliatory, but we are not insisting on the arbitral judgment,” Mr. Duterte said in yet another impromptu address to government troops, this time the Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Division in Camp Mateo Capinpin, Rizal province.

He was referring to the July 12 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on the Philippines’ maritime dispute with China over the latter’s virtual occupation of the South China Sea, including areas of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

Mr. Duterte said: “whether we like it or not, that arbitral judgment will be insisted not only by the Philippines but by the whole countries [here in] Southeast Asia.”

Moreover, he said: “Gagamitin tayo ng Amerika ( We will be used by America). Eh ikaw yung nanalo dyan ( you won that case), you insist on it [they will say].”

“But we will chart our own course with the national interest of this country,” Mr. Duterte said.

“But I am afraid that if we cannot understand each other, we have to pray for that. You have to do something. What way can we best defend our country? Because there is never a time that we would attack, na paano ba natin mapagtanggol ang ating inangbayan (so how do we defend our motherland)? In some, our own little way, because we are not that rich,” he added.

“But I am sure, that I guarantee to them na kung kayo ang pumasok dito (that if you occupy us), it will be bloody. And we will not give it to them easily. It will be the bones of our soldiers, pati na yung akin isali niyo (even mine). We will not allow any country to bamboozle.. I will not allow... so it’s up to China.”

Mr. Duterte also said in his remarks: “I know they are listening to us now... Pero ( But) they better come up with ah, ano ba talaga gusto nila (what they really want).”

“We do not want a quarrel. I would walk the extra mile, to ask for peace for everybody.”

Speaking to reporters at Malacañang earlier that day, Mr. Duterte said it was “better to continually engage China in a diplomatic dialogue rather than anger officials there.”

Asked about a date for bilateral talks, he said: “Within the year.”

The United States, a treaty ally of the Philippines that has expressed concern about China’s pursuit of territory in the South China Sea, said it welcomed efforts by rival claimants to manage and resolve differences peacefully.

At the same time, Anna Richey-Allen, a spokeswoman for the US State Department, said Washington “urge[d] that negotiation should be undertaken on terms acceptable to all parties, free from coercion or the use or threat of force.”

Washington was a strong backer of the case the Philippines brought against China, but has sought unsuccessfully to forge a unified position among Southeast Asia countries on the issue. — with Reuters,