MANILA, Philippines — If the Philippines cannot assert its maritime claims now, maybe it can do so in 4001.
President Duterte has claimed that there’s nothing much the Philippines can do about its maritime row with China, saying a war with the Asian superpower would only result in a “massacre” of Filipino troops.
But Duterte said in jest that things may change in 2,000 years.
“‘Pag year 4001, tigas na tayo, invade natin ‘yung China, kunin natin ‘yung oil natin. By that time, i-straw mo, wala na. Maski bunbon (In the year 4001, we will be strong and we will invade China and seize our oil. By that time, nothing will be left, not even sand),” the President said during the 117th anniversary of the Office of the Solicitor General in Pasay City last Wednesday.
“Eh pasupladuhan lang, number one ako diyan. Pero alam ko din hindi ko talaga kaya. Ipapasubo ko lang itong bayan ko (We can choose to snub each other. I’m number one in terms of that. But I know we cannot do it. I will just drag my country into a mess). Not good. It’s not good really to go to war now,” he added.
Duterte said China could target a Philippine plane even before it is launched. He also believes that aggressive behavior would not solve the dispute.
“That’s geopolitics actually. Naglalaro ako ng baraha dito, wala man rin akong magawa, dito muna ‘yang China (I am playing my cards. I cannot do anything. We leave it at that for now),” he said.
Critics have accused Duterte of being too soft on the Philippines’ maritime dispute with China, which is claiming about 90 percent of the South China Sea. They claimed that the Duterte administration is not doing enough to assert the Philippines’ claims in the South China Sea because it is getting military and development aid from China.
Officials have denied this, saying Duterte would not give up even an inch of Philippine territory in the South China Sea.