Duterte Was 'Apologetic' When He Brought Up Spratly Islands With China's Xi

On Sunday, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo quoted Duterte as telling Xi, “I didn’t want to alarm you with what I’m about to raise because of your problem in Hong Kong, which is why I’m asking for forgiveness, but I need to say this because I promised my countrymen.” The Chinese leader’s response, according to Panelo was, “I understand, and I am OK with it” while continuing to deny the arbitral ruling.

From the International Business Times.


UPDATE: But PHL Foreign Secretary says it did not happen.

Damage control. I trust Panelo more on this one.

Foreign Sec. TeddyBoy Locsin: West PH Sea gas exploration has to be with China 'unless other people step up'

The Philippines has to explore with China oil and gas reserves believed to be sitting deep beneath the West Philippine Sea "unless other people step up," Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Wednesday. 

Manila and Beijing, during President Rodrigo Duterte's visit to China last week, signed a deal on joint oil and gas exploration, and another on the Belt and Road infrastructure push, noted Locsin during a budget briefing before the House of Representatives' appropriations committee. 

“We’re gonna have to do it with China unless other people step up the way Shell stepped up in Malampaya before,” Locsin said, referring to the gas field off Palawan where Shell Philippines Exploration BV leads the operating consortium. 

Abs Cbn reports.

FLASHBACK: China warns Philippines to prepare for WAR if Manila drills for oil in South China Sea

Meaning, Xi will go to war against the Philippines if we drill for oil on our own without China's permission.

 

The Case for Impeaching Duterte

So China won't allow Duterte to be removed from office, but what if China is the reason Duterte gets ousted?

#impeach16

‘How long can we take the bullying of China?’ – Lacson

from the Inquirer:

MANILA, Philippines— How long can the Philippines take China’s bullying?

Senator  Panfilo  Lacson did not mince words on Tuesday when he branded as “bullying” the ramming and sinking of an anchored Philippine fishing boat by a Chinese  vessel last June 9 at Recto (Reed) Bank in the West Philippine Sea.

Lacson reiterated that the incident was a test of both patience and respect. 

“Respect on the part of the Chinese government towards an ally which is the Philippines; and patience on the part of our government,” he said in an interview over  CNN Philippines.

“How long can we take the bullying of China, hindi lang sa fishermen; the Filipinos themselves ‘di ba?” said the senator.

Asked if it was clear that the Philippines is being bullied by China, Lacson said:  “We’re being bullied. That’s clear enough. Hindi lang ito ang incident.”

Frontrunner in 2022.

Why is there a Chinese military vessel in Reed Bank?

The question now is, why is China’s military vessel in Reed Bank?

Reed Bank is 800 nautical miles from mainland China. But it’s included in the all encompassing nine-dash-line map, which no other country recognizes.

China has always coveted Reed Bank.

Many years ago, the Philippine Navy found Chinese markers near Reed Bank.

Reed Bank was what China wanted in exchange for the massive loans that it granted the government of Gloria Arroyo who entered into the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) with China and Vietnam to explore that area.

The legality of the JMSU has been questioned before the Supreme Court which has not decided on it.

Reed Bank is not mentioned in the November 2018 PH-China Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Gas and Oil development signed by Foreign Secretary Teddy Locsin and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. But it is the understanding that it is the location of MOU, which has not yet evolved into agreement.


In 2010, under the presidency of Benigno Aquino III, the Department of Energy awarded Service Contract 72 to Forum Energy Plc. (FEP) exploration rights to a basin within Reed Bank. Manuel B. Pangilinan’s Philex owns 64.45 percent of FEP, a London-based listed oil and gas exploration firm focused on the Philippines,

Earlier seismic surveys showed that Reed Bank holds vast natural gas reserves with estimates ranging from billions to trillion cubic feet.

From Ellen Tordesillas.

FLASHBACK: China behaving like Nazi Germany in South China Sea, says Benigno Aquino

“I’m an amateur student of history and I’m reminded of ... how Germany was testing the waters and what the response was by various other European powers,” he said, referring to the Nazis’ territorial conquests in the months before the outbreak of the second world war.

“They tested the waters and they were ready to back down if, for instance, in that aspect, France said (to back down).

But unfortunately, up to the annexation of the Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia, the annexation of the entire country of Czechoslovakia, nobody said stop.

If somebody said stop to Hitler at that point in time, or to Germany at that time, would we have avoided World War II.”

From the Guardian.

Duterte to Xi Jinping: No U.S. troops on Pag-Asa Island

Source article:

In a television interview, Duterte recalled telling Xi not to waste gasoline in sending ships to Pag-asa island.

“‘Why are you surrounding my island with so many ships? You’re wasting your gasoline.’ That’s my exact words. ‘You’re wasting your gasoline. You might as well give it to us,’” the President said.

“I told you I will not allow, as long as I am President, any American to set foot on that Pag-asa. Because I know that it will create really trouble. And I will not allow their arms. If it’s a Philippine government arms given to us by America, well that’s another story. If you want, you can give us a better one,” he added.

But if China does it, it's okay? Ah, maybe because the 2019 midterm elections' over and Duterte is back to his default mode on China.

 “I told him, ‘Did I not tell you, Mr. President (Xi), that I will never allow the Americans to set foot on any of the islands controlled by the Philippines? That we will not start any war and that I will never allow American weapons to be stationed in that island?’” he said.

“Do not deprive them [Filipino fishermen] because you know we are poor. You prohibit us, you will just create the inflation to go higher,” Duterte added.

Begging?