By GENALYN KABILING
President Duterte is determined to continue the “constructive dialogues” with China on the South China Sea issue rather than wage war with the Asian neighbor, Malacañang said yesterday.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the President wanted to avoid any potential warfare with China and has applied a a “cautious, pragmatic, diplomatic yet independent” approach on the arbitral award in favor of the country.
The President has also opposed any stockpiling of weapons in Palawan due to concerns the island might be collateral damage in case war breaks out in the disputed waters, according to Panelo.
“It is in the best interest of the nation that the President maintains constructive dialogues with China through a bilateral consultation mechanism (BCM),” Panelo said.
He said the President’s stance against stockpiling of weapons in Palawan reflected “his acumen and diplomacy” in dealing with the issue.
“The President not only steers clear of a potential warfare with China but anticipates any armed conflict between two powerful countries. Palawan, given its proximity to our giant neighbor, could be a flaming collateral damage if not an object of a strategic assault resulting to irreparable repercussions in the island,” he said.
The President earlier announced he would not allow any country to stockpile weapons in Palawan amid the territorial dispute. He was concerned that Palawan was in a critical position in case war erupts in the region.
“I’m putting on notice everybody, the United States, China, Australia, ‘yung interesado, that the Philippines is not ready for a war. We cannot afford it and we cannot manage it,” Duterte said during his visit to Palawan last Saturday.
“Magpalayo tayo diyan sa gulo na ‘yan. Wala man tayong kasali,” he said.
Some analyst groups however has reportedly cautioned Duterte against opposing the stockpiling of arms in Palawan. The island might supposedly be left vulnerable to China which has been widely criticized for building artificial islands and increased military buildup in the disputed region.
Panelo, however, dismissed the risk analysis about the West Philippine Sea issue.
“Well meaning dissertations have been put forward on the issue of South China Sea but they lack the pragmatism and the reality of geopolitics,” he said.
“The President has embarked on a cautious, pragmatic, diplomatic yet independent stand on how to deal with the favourable arbitral ruling. The President has a wealth of information at his disposal, which is not readily available to ordinary citizens or foreigners hence he is in the best position to decide on international matters that affect the welfare of the nation,” he said.
In July 2016, the Hague-based arbitration court ruled that China has no legal or historical basis to claim rights over resource-rich South China Sea. The United Nations-recognized tribunal said China breached the sovereign rights of the Philippines by building artificial islands, interfering with its fishing and oil projects.
Beijing has refused to recognize the decision.
President Duterte has set aside the arbitral ruling for now and instead pursue closer economic and diplomatic ties with China.
Panelo recently said it was never too late to raise the decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in favor of the Philippines since the award “will be there forever.”
“We’ll have to leave it with the President’s judgment on when and where the perfect time would be made. He has six years within which to do it. So as you said, we’re still only coming in the half of his term,” he said during a Palace press briefing last