President Rodrigo R. Duterte
MANILA -- President Rodrigo Duterte said that although the Philippines will continue to assert sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea, it may also give China “fishing rights”.
Duterte made this remark as he defended anew his October 2016 deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping to allow Chinese fishermen within Philippine waters as long as China will allow Filipinos to fish in the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.
“Sabi nila, ’Bakit mo pinayagan ang China?’ Sabi ko (They say, ‘Why did you allow China?’ I said), ‘As far as I'm concerned, I'm the owner, and I'm just giving the fishing rights,’” Duterte said in a TV interview with Pastor Apollo Quiboloy early Wednesday morning.
He said Filipino fishermen would be at the losing end if he will prevent Chinese from fishing within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
“Kasi tayo ang kawawa ngayon eh kung hindi tayo magpasok doon (Because we will be at the losing end if we don’t allow them there) invoking fishing --- traditional fishing rights, we cannot fish there. That is how constricted these guys are,” Duterte said.
Duterte stressed anew that the Philippines was no match against the Asian superpower and wondered why his critics and detractors wanted to impeach him for simply protecting Filipinos from possible armed conflict.
While the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled in favor of the Philippines’ arbitration case filed against China, Duterte said he also had to consider China’s claim over the disputed waters.
“It's called fishing rights, that they have been fishing there for centuries for their food,” Duterte said.
“If they claim that it is theirs, so they will be the one to give us the fishing rights,” he added.
As much as he wanted to, Duterte said he could not simply drive China away from territories they claimed.
“So sabi nila (They say), ‘Duterte, you must protect our marine resources and people fishing there. You must drive them out,’" the President said.
“Alam naman talaga na it's impossible kay sabihin man ng China (They really know that it’s impossible because China will say), ‘Who are you to tell us to get out there? This is our ocean.’ That's why it's named China Sea. It's not named Philippine Sea,” he added.
Duterte, meanwhile, blamed the administration under President Benigno Aquino III for losing ownership of the Panatag Shoal which is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile EEZ. (PNA)
