President Duterte reiterated that it would still be better to resolve the South China Sea issue through negotiating with China, instead of going to the disputed area to show force.
Duterte made the statement as he is set to fly to Beijing for the second Belt and Road Forum this week where he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.
In a speech in Agusan del Norte Sunday, Duterte said that he can visit the disputed waters anytime but that may cost the lives of Filipino soldiers and policemen.
“Naa nay mga pusil, akoy ilang paadtuon. Pwede man na. Pwede na. Just to show – maghinambog. Pero pulpog na tanan (They want me to visit it. It’s fine, it can be done just to show off. But we would all be destroyed),” he said.
“My soldiers and my policemen will be massacred. Wala tay ikakaya nila. So istorya nalang una ta (We can’t defeat them. So let’s stick to just talking),” he added.
According to the President, the United States is scared of helping the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea because it may trigger a third world war.
“Hadlok ang Amerika eh. Hadlok ang Amerika og giyera. Kahibaw siya og magkagiyera unya gamay lang ang pasangil, not worth it (America was scared. They knew that a war about something so small is not worth it),” he said. (Argyll Geducos)
