Duterte won't allow China to occupy Pag-asa Island

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he would not allow China to seize Philippine-occupied Pag-asa Island even as he maintained his stand not to go to war with Beijing to defend the country's interests in the South China Sea.

Pag-asa Island, a 37-hectare island with an airstrip, commercial communications tower, and power generators, is the largest of the Kalayaan Island Group territories claimed by the Philippines and is part of the municipality of Palawan.

"The Pag-asa Island belongs to us. Is that yung base natin? 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," the President told reporters in Puerto Princesa City.

The President also raised the matter during the PDP-Laban campaign rally that followed.

"Let us be friends but do not touch Pag-asa Island otherwise things would be different," Duterte said.

"I will not plead or beg I am just telling you that lay off with Pag-asa because may mga sundalo ako dyan at pag 'yan ang ginalaw ninyo ibang istorya na 'yan," he added.

“‘Di sabihin ko na ‘yang mga sundalo ko, ‘prepare for suicide missions’.”

Duterte, however, clarified that this is "not a warning" but "just a word of advice" to China because it is the country's friend.

Duterte, however, clarified that this is "not a warning" but "just a word of advise" to China because it is the country's friend.

Hours before issued the remark, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) came out with a strongly-worded statement slamming the presence of Chinese vessels in waters off Pag-asa Island.

The DFA said the presence of Chinese vessels is illegal and raised questions "about their intent as well as concerns over their role in support of coercive objectives."

About 275 Chinese vessels were spotted near and around Pag-asa, which China calls Zhongye, from January to March this year, according to the Philippine military. China said the vessels are civilian ships, mostly fishing boats.

A senior Philippine diplomat said the diplomatic protest against China’s massive presence in Pag-asa was filed last March 29.

But Duterte said the Chinese "have never harmed or arrested any Filipino."

"I am sure it has something to do with the greater game of geopolitics. And it is not directed to us. And I assure you that if they kill or arrest people there who are Filipinos, then that would be the time that we will have to decide on what to do," he said.

Duterte, criticized for allegedly kowtowing to China even amid the maritime dispute, insisted that he would not provoke the Asian power into war as this would only result in a massacre of government troops.

"Now, kung gusto natin we have two options, we drive them away by force, can we do that? Unless we want to commit suicide," he said.

The President then underscored the importance of "compromise" in managing conflicting claims in the South China Sea.

The Philippines is currently the dialogue coordinator between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on negotiations for a Code of Conduct, which aims to prevent conflicting territorial claims in the resource-rich sea from erupting into violent confrontations or worse, an economically-devastating major conflict. — with Dona Magsino/BAP, GMA News