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Duterte insists PH rise belongs to PH
FILE: President Rodrigo Duterte (JOEY DALUMPINES/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)
After it was revealed that the Chinese government named five undersea features in the Philippine Rise (formerly known as Benham Rise), the President clarified and stressed that this move of China does not give them the ownership and rights.
“I would insist on the Philippine Rise because that is ours, period,” President Rodrigo Duterte said at the 10th biannual national convention and 20th anniversary celebration of the Chinese Filipino Business Club, Inc.
He also addressed Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jinhua who was present in the event by saying, “In front of the Ambassador, I’d tell you, we will insist. But what would be the components of our demands and our insistence? Well, we can only be diplomatic. We can only be talking on friendly and civilized terms.”
However, the President also noted that while he was clear about claims and ownership, it was still important to maintain good ties with the Asian giant.
Duterte, who was reacting to China’s naming then said, “Eh alangan namang gawin nilang German, ang alam lang nila Chinese eh (Well you cannot expect them to name [the undersea features] in German when all they know is Chinese).”
“Those are just directions na tapos na sila d’yan (that they are finished there). Of course, they do it in Chinese because it’s their dialect. Alangan i-Tagalog mo ‘yan (You cannot expect them to use Tagalog),” he added.
On February 14, the Palace through Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Jr.
protested China’s move.
(Read: Palace on PH Rise Chinese names: We object)
“We object and do not recognize the Chinese names given to some undersea features in the Philippine Rise,” he said.
However, maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal, who also revealed China’s move, said it may be too late.
(Read: Expert: PH protest on Chinese names maybe too late)
“Hindi ko alam kung mag-wo-work iyan[g protest] dahil tapos na ang proseso. Open ang process. It was transparent. So parang medyo nakakahiya rin naman sa atin na too late the hero naman tayo na biglang mag-o-object (I do not know if that protest will work because the process is done. The process was open. It was transparent. So it is a bit embarrassing for us as too late the hero to suddenly object),” Batongbacal said in an interview with DZMM.
