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Duterte’s cinematic solution to South China Sea conflict

Duterte's Jetski diplomacy. Photo from Mary Anne Tejada's FB
Duterte’s Jetski diplomacy. Photo from Mary Anne Tejada’s FB

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s proposed solution to the South China territorial conflict would make a thrilling action-packed movie scene.

In a speech before travel executives at the MOA-SMX last Friday (and in all his rally speches) Duterte said, “I will ask the Navy to bring me to the nearest point in South China Sea that is tolerable to them and I will ride a jet ski. I’ll carry a flag and when I reach Spratlys, I will erect the Filipino flag. I will tell them, suntukan o barilan.”

When Duterte said this, he held a Philippine flag beside him. In the evening rally at Filinvest in Muntinlupa, he put in more drama: he kissed the flag.

Presidential Candidate Rodrigo Duterte holds the flag. Photo by Mario Ignacio foir VERA Files.
Presidential Candidate Rodrigo Duterte holds the flag. Photo by Mario Ignacio III for VERA Files.

Imagine the president of a country jet-skiing to the Chinese occupied Subi Reef, the nearest of the contested Spratly features to the Philippine occupied Pag-asa island and being met by armed Chinese soldiers. That would make a great movie.

Former Interior Secretary Rafael Alunan, who is critical of China’s activities in the South China Sea and is a senatorial candidate under Duterte’s ticket, said he is willing to accompany if and when Duterte makes that Spratlys flag-installing trip.

There was no chance to ask Duterte how he is going to make sure that the flag that he has planted in a Spratly rock stays there.

It will be recalled that many years ago, former Ilocos Norte Rep. Roque Ablan had also done Philippine flag-planting in Scarborougn or Panatag shoal, 124 nautical miles off Zambales, which is also being claimed by China. The Chinese had removed the flag and they are now in control of the area the last four years. Filipino fishermen complain that the two Chinese Coast Guard ships that secure the area block their access to the fishing grounds near the shoal and the Aquino government couldn’t do anything except complain and protest.

But even while Duterte said he will challenge the Chinese to “suntukan o barilan” (much applauded by the adoring audience), he also said, ” I will not go to war because we will not win. It will be a massacre. I will not waste the lives of Filipino soldiers and policemen. Ano ako gago, Patay lahat yan.”

Whatever the decision of the United Nations Arbitral Court on the suit filed by the Philippines against China’s all-encompassing nine-dash line, Duterte said he plans to talk with China even on a bilateral basis, a diplomatic strategy that the Aquino government shunned limiting itself to multilateral talks.

(In Spratlys, aside from the Philippines and China, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan are also claiming partly South China Sea features. Scarborough shoal, on the other hand, is being claimed only by the Philippines and China.)

Senatorial Candidate Rafael Alunan. Photo by Mario Ignacio for VERA Files.
Senatorial Candidate Rafael Alunan. Photo by Mario Ignacio III for VERA Files.
Duterte calls the issue of jurisdiction, who has the legal power or authority over an area which is contentious in territorial disputes, “shit.”

“You think that I’d waste the lives of our Filipino soldiers for the shitting issue of jurisdiction?” he asked.

He said he is open to a joint exploration with China of contested areas in the South China Sea ( “If you want joint exploration, kung wala akong pera pang-equipment ko, just give me my part”) if China would build railroad infrastructure all over the Philippines.

He said he will keep quiet about China’s activities if they will build railroad infrastructure all over the country: “Build me a train around Mindanao, build me a train from Manila to Bicol, build me a train going to Batangas, for the six years that I’m president, I’ll shutup.”

China has reclaimed some 60 hectares in the disputed Spratlys, converting rocks into islands since last year and declaring sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea. The Philippine Constitution, on the other hand, states that “The exploration, development and utilization of natural resources shall be under the full control and supervision of the State.”

The government of Gloria Arroyo entered into a Joint Marine and Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) with China and Vietnam in the disputed areas of Spratlys (most within the Philippine Exclusive Economiuc Zone) but its constitutionality has been questioned before the Supreme Court by Rep. Neri Colmenares, who is now running for senator.

This article was first published April 13, 2016

Published in2016 elections

21 Comments

  1. Golberg Golberg

    Ewan ko itong si Duterte.
    Di naman naka droga kasi sabi niya “My God I hate drugs.”
    Pero mukhang tumira ng katol.
    Suntukan o barilan? Ilang taon na ba siya para maghamon ng suntukan sa mga medyo praktisadong mga beho?
    Hindi daw tayo mananalo sa gyera laban sa China eh bakit niya hahamunin ng barilan?

  2. chi chi

    Hahahahahaha! Golberg, pareho tayo ng comments…

    Kontra-kontra pelo ang ibinubuga ni Duterts. Matagal ko ng tinatanong ang mental health ng taong ito.

  3. Golberg Golberg

    Ganun na nga Chi.

    Para kasing buhok sa kili-kili eh.
    Ang gulo kausap.

  4. chi chi

    Ang gulo nga, Golberg pati D’netizens. Na-bully yung FB account ko, ayun naka-blocked, hahahaha!

  5. vic vic

    Say what you may to the Duterte’s style of campaigning, but the Surveys say he is now leading the Contest and Election is less than a month away…and if he can sustain his style, you may have Digong the “foul Mouthed” but full of surprises as your next President…and to many of his supporters, it is a Big CHANGE…untraditional but maybe that is what the country needs…

    Roxas is the exact opposite and he is the tailender…Poe integrity is still questionable..Binay is a Thief and that is the number One illness in the country…the impunity of the thieves..

    In the end, the voters will decide, for worse or for the better…

  6. Ana Duran Ana Duran

    Duterte is not your TRDITIONAL Politician. He curses and say outrageous things but oh boy he is very decisive and a born LEADER which is lacking in other presidential candidates.

  7. Golberg Golberg

    Maganda nga at hindi TRADITIONAL POLITICIAN.

    May sinabi nga siyang “Mabuhay ang NPA.” At, di nya daw ipapapatay ang mga ito sa Ideology nila. Sana mali ang mga nabasa ko.

    Marahil ito na nga ang hinihintay nila. Maging optional ang pagsunod sa batas. Gumulo ng husto ang Pinas. Dumami ang buwaya, bwitre, pating, ulopong at ahas sa gobyerno. Magkalat ang mga walang hiya, balahura, puñeta, tukmol, ungas, gago o gaga (pakawalan nya daw si Gloria) etc.

    Minsan sinabi ni Tougue “Democracy is doomed in the first place.” Ayaw ko rin ng Democracy kasi maingay at magulo. Pero ngayon mayroon ng banta dito. 30 years na ang democracy dito. 30 years of bullshit ayon sa marami nating kababayan. Panahon na para baguhin ito.

  8. Golberg Golberg

    Chi, hindi ako kumabig o kumambyo ha.

    Pero ako’y nagaalala sa mga susunod na mangyayari matapos ang election.

    Sana nga din kina-usap niya yung mga nag vandal sa isang pader ang iniligay ba naman eh “Ang sagot sa kahirapan ay Rebolusyon at hindi election.” Ano kaya ang masasabi ni Digong dito?

    Kumukulot tuloy ng husto ang utak ko sa gulo.

  9. chi chi

    Golberg, basta ang masasabi ko ay kagulo kung hindi mai-elect si Digong, ngayon nga ay napakagulo na niya, pero mas nakakatakot na siya ay maging pangulo.

  10. olan olan

    takot kayo kay Digong dahil magkakagulo? if im reading your comments correctly..We had elected many worst presidents that cause us more misery than ever..from economic opportunities and our way of life. Many laborers are like slaves earning pitance and yet tax excessively. We are poor to world standard of decent living and yet afraid of someone who has a different point of view than the other presidentiables who clearly are funded by the elite few to protect their economic influence..for me, why will i be afraid. I have nothing to lose. The few rich people are the ones afraid because their control and influence on our government and our country’s resources will be challenge by a socialist whom these people created in my view. I think we need to revisit our social studies..I thought that when communism becomes mainstream during those days its too answer feudalism.

  11. Golberg Golberg

    @#10 “I thought that when communism becomes mainstream during those day its to answer feudalism.” Gaya nga ng sinabi mo we need to revisit our social studies. Ano nga ba ang nangyari sa Cambodia at Vietnam? Sa Cambodia na lang.
    At baka nakalimutan na rin natin yung ginawang literal na masaker ng mga makakaliwa sa Samar noong 1989? At bakit nga ba pag sundalo ang pinatay, tahimik yung CHR pati yung Bayan Muna, Anak Bayan, Gabriela etc. Pero pag may namatay mula sa hanay nila aba’y talak ng talak at may protesta pa.

    The few rich people are the ones afraid because their control and influence on our government will be challenged by a socialist? Bakit naman sila matatakot diyan eh, sila nga itong nagpopondo sa mga programa ng mga ito. Si George Soros batikan pagdating sa mga ganyan. The Grand Plan of the elites is taking shape. Few more years we’ll have a NEW WORLD ORDER whether we like or not.

    Actually may nagsabi nito ” We will have a new world order either by consent or by subjecting the people to embrace it.”

  12. Golberg Golberg

    Dun sa bagong thread, nag back track siya dun sa sinabi niyang 3 to 6 months.

    Ang akala niya kasi ganon kadali bumuwag ng mga sindikato.
    Anyway, para ito dun sa bagong topic.

    Sa issue ng WPS/SCS, handa siyang ibigay sa mga beho ang ating patrimony basta may railway system sa Mindanao pati dito sa NCR (Manila to Bicol) Natukoy ko na yung “suntukan o barilan.” Kung sa suntukan, eh siguradong kahit sa isang 12yrs old na amateur hindi siya mananalo. Ganyan ba dapat ang position o maging paninindigan ng isang Pangulo sa issue ng WPS? May napabalita pang “he will just bow to China” Ito ang masasabi ko diyan, sorry Ate Ellen pero Putang ina ang ganyang paninindigan.

  13. Golberg Golberg

    May bagong labas sa bibig ni Digong tungkol sa WPS—–
    “Let’s not insist on ownership.”

    Putang ina talaga!!!

  14. In today’s debate, Duterte repeated his cinematic solution:

    Duterte wants to be a hero in dispute vs China
    ABS-CBN News
    Posted at 24 Apr 2016 07:02 PM

    How do you solve a problem like the ongoing row in the West Philippine Sea between the Philippines and China?

    For Davao City mayor and presidential front runner Rodrigo Duterte, it is important that the Philippines first win the arbitration case filed against Beijing in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

    He, however, said he will not declare war against China if Beijing refuses to honor the arbitration court ruling and continues to occupy contested areas in the West Philippine Sea.

    If this happens, he said he will ask the Philippine Navy to bring him to the boundary of the Spratlys so he can “ride a jet ski while bringing the Philippine flag.”

    “I will not commit the Filipino soldiers [to war] kaya ako na lang pupunta doon,” he said

    http://news.abs-cbn.com/halalan2016/nation/04/24/16/duterte-wants-to-be-a-hero-in-dispute-vs-china

  15. Ana Duran Ana Duran

    #16 Ellen, Du30 is just being funny…for sure, he values the lives of the soldiers and that says a lot about his love for the Filipinos…

  16. Mga ultimate basher ang mga nag cocomment ng hindi maganda kay duterte dito na site. Hindi sila mga botante. Hindi sila dapat na pinapansin dahil ma high blood lang. Pag mag post patungkol kay binay ay galit sila dahil magnanakaw. Ganundin kay Poe kontra sila. Itong si admin masyadong napapadalas ang pag post kay duterte.

  17. Ana Duran Ana Duran

    #19 Arvin, No. 1 kasi di Du30 kaya pinupukol…ang kulelelat di pinupukol…naglalaway kasi ang mga Du30 haters at nagaasam dila na masisira si Du30 para ang kandidato nila ay #1 and that is expected…ika nga…the enemy of my enemy is my friend…so lahat ng mga talunan ay nagjojoin forces to discredit du30 para nga naman bumaba ang rating niya pero DIE HARD ang mga supporters ni DU30…imagine 10 years prosecutor si Du30 and 22 years mayor and 3 years Congressman…that’s a LOT of PROVEN experience that we can benefit from if he get elected…for now he is a sure winner unless cheated…

  18. tru blue tru blue

    @#19: Di mo ba pansin, ngawa ng ngawa but they don’t spell out who their dog or pig is in this election. Other than the mundane senator running for VP named Trillanes na kulelat, ambisyosong tinyinti, ooh my lord! He fooled those people who stupidly voted for him before, you can’t fool them twice, even Dubya said that.

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