TOKYO – Hindi raw galit, pero nagpahayag si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ng kalungkutan at agam-agam kaugnay sa tensyon sa South China Sea o West Philippine Sea partikular sa agresibong pagkamkam ng China sa buong karagatan.
Ginawa ni Pangulong Duterte ang pahayag sa kanyang talumpati sa 25th Nikkei Forum kaharap ang iba’t ibang global at regional leaders.
Sinabi ni Pangulong Duterte, umaasa siyang sa lalong madaling panahon, magkakaroon ng code of conduct of the sea ang China sa kapwa claimants gaya ng Pilipinas.
Ayon kay Pangulong Duterte, hindi siya naniniwalang may mangyayaring maganda kung ipaubaya sa US at China ang pag-uusap.
Inihayag ni Pangulong Duterte na pagpapakitang-tao lamang ang matatamis na pananalita ng US at China para magkaroon ng kasunduan.
“This is not a testing of waters of temperature my God, it is really testing who can fire the first shot. And I am sad and bewildered not angry because I cannot do anything. But I just hope that China would come up with conduct of the sea soon and somebody should reach out to the United States. Because if you leave it to them to talk nothing will happen. There is so much animosity covered by sweet talking about how they desire to have an agreement. But nobody is pushing and the intrusions as far as China is concerned it’s in their waters,” ani Pangulong Duterte.
Kasabay nito, binigyang-diin ni Pangulong Duterte na bagama’t mahal nito ang China dahil nakatulong ito ng bahagya sa Pilipinas, hindi nito maiwasang magtanong kung tama ba ang ginagawa nitong pag-angkin sa buong karagatan na.
“I love China it has helped us a bit. But it behooves upon us to ask: Is it right for a country to claim the whole ocean? Only just leave the high seas as it was during the old days of international law.”
