There will be no surrendering of sovereign rights by the
Philippines in the West Philippine Sea.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte during an exclusive TV interview
with Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, clarified his stance with respect to the Chinese
fishing within the exclusive economic zone of the country.
Duterte said the Philippines will continue to assert sovereign
rights over the West Philippine Sea, it may also give China “fishing rights”.
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| Pres. Duterte amidst the Philippine occupied Pag -Asa island in the Spratlys. (photo credit to owner) |
This was the October 2016 deal
he made with Chinese President Xin 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.
He explains that Filipinos will
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.
“It's
called fishing rights, that they have been fishing there for centuries for
their food,” Pres. Duterte said.
“If
they claim that it is theirs, so they will be the one to give us the fishing
rights,” the chief executive added.
To add,
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.
In
the same TV interview, the President blames the previous administration of
Noynoy Aquino III for losing ownership of the Panatag Shoal which is within the
Philippines’ 200-nautical mile EEZ.
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Report from PNA
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