Friends Duterte, Xi in serious talk
I feel that since we’re friends, any issue can be discussed and threshed out
Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo on Monday disclosed President Rodrigo Duterte’s firm intent to raise The Hague’s arbitral ruling on the West Philippine Sea.
But that is not the
only issue the Chief Executive is planning to bring up when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month.
He said Mr. Duterte is also set to explore with Mr. Xi issues about the West Philippine Sea code and the possible joint exploration for oil and gas between the Philippines and China.
The spokesman also bared that the President will also raise the increasing presence of Chinese ships in Philippine waters. He branded them as among the “irritants” in the relations between the two countries.
“I feel that since we’re friends, any issue can be discussed and threshed out,” Panelo said.
He, however, noted that Duterte did not say if he would discuss the recent incident in the Recto Bank (Reed Bank), where a Chinese ship rammed into a Filipino boat and left its crew precariously at sea. There was also no mention about the Chinese workers in Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGO).
China’s Embassy in Manila earlier called on the Filipino government to “punish” casinos and POGO that illegally employ Chinese nationals.
Mr. Duterte previously confirmed that he has plans to discuss the arbitral ruling with his Chinese counterpart in his upcoming trip, his fifth as president.
“We will talk about the arbitral ruling. That’s why I’m going to China,” he said during the oathtaking of newly-elected officials of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc.
“I’m going to China to talk. Did I not tell you before that before my term ends, I will be talking about the South China Sea?” he added, noting that there are “scuffles” that need to be addressed.
Spying from within?
Meantime, Panelo also revealed that Duterte said China has the capability to spy even from afar despite the warning from Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana that gambling hubs run by the Chinese might be used for espionage.
This comes after Lorenzana said the POGO located near major military bases might “shift their activities to spying.”
“The President and I were talking about it yesterday and he was saying that, ‘You know, you don’t even have to be near any military camp if you want to gather intelligence,’” said Panelo. “He said that considering the high-tech now, even if they are far away from China, if they want to spy on us, they can. In fact, all countries, as he correctly said, are spying on each other. It’s only natural.”
Panelo noted that the President Duterte also believes the Philippines has enough instruments to gather information on China, too.
“We can, the President said, find out what they want to do to us,” Panelo said.
Some of the POGO centers in the capital are located at Araneta Center in Cubao and Eastwood, which are both near Camp Aguinaldo, the general headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
On the other hand, Resorts World Manila in Pasay, a popular casino in Metro Manila, is close to Villamor Airbase, the headquarters of the Philippine Air Force, while another POGO center is located at Island Cove in Cavite, which is across the naval base at Sangley Point.
The Palace official said whether or not POGO facilities should be transferred to other locations is up to the security officials and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.
Revenue generator
Panelo enumerated that there are roughly 138,000 Chinese workers in POGO, according to the initial estimate of an inter-agency task force reviewing the Internet-based gaming business, even as Beijing earlier urged Manila to crack down on casinos and offshore gaming firms that illegally employ its nationals.
We will talk about the arbitral ruling. That’s why I’m going to China.
He also blasted the swarm of 113 Chinese vessels around the Filipino-occupied Pag-asa Island.