Duterte won't plant PH flag in Kalayaan because of China friendship

ABS-CBN News

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said he will no longer plant the Philippine flag in Kalayaan town in the disputed Spratlys archipelago because China won&#x27;t like it.&quot;I would like to correct myself along the way dito. I said I will go to the island of Kalayaan, Pag-asa on June 12 to raise the Filipino flag there,&quot; Duterte said in a meeting with the Filipino community in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he is in a two-day state visit.&quot;If every heads of state of the contending parties around the West Philippine Sea will go there to plant their flags, there will likely be trouble. Because of our friendship with China, I will not go there to raise the Philippine flag,&quot; Duterte said.&quot;Maybe I will send my son just to show that the blood of the claimant, ibig sabihin kadugo ko na iyong nandiyan, amin iyan.&quot; &quot;Sabi ng China, &#x27;In the meantime, huwag ka munang pumunta doon. Just do not go there, please?&#x27; Sabi ko, &#x27;Yes, I will correct myself. Because we value the friendship of China.&#x27;&quot;While campaigning for president last year, Duterte said he would &quot;ride a jet ski while bringing the Philippine flag&quot; to the contested area.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="ttp://news.abs-cbn.com/halalan2016/nation/04/24/16/duterte-wants-to-be-a-hero-in-dispute-vs-china">EAD: Duterte wants to be a hero in dispute vs China</a></li></ul>Duterte also said earlier that he wanted to claim unoccupied areas in the disputed sea but China said no.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/08/17/china-concerned-over-dutertes-order-to-occupy-islands-in-south-china-sea">READ: China &#x27;concerned&#x27; over Duterte&#x27;s order to occupy islands in South China Sea</a></li></ul>&quot;If there&#x27;s a ruckus there, there&#x27;s war, somebody might use it as a base for a battery of missiles so I&#x27;m claiming it. And I said I&#x27;m not going to put any offensive weapons. Atin na iyon,&quot; Duterte said on Wednesday.&quot;Sabi ko the 10 remaining islands there, agawan ito ng lupa. Sige na pasok na iyong Taiwanese, Vietnamese. They&#x27;re having trouble there. Iyong mga islands doon natin na hindi pa occupied, sabi ko kay General (Hermogenes) Esperon pati kay Chief of Staff (General Eduardo Año) pati kay (Defense) Secretary Lorenzana, occupy the island.&quot;&quot;Unahan na natin, lagyan na natin ng flag, atin na iyan. Kasi agawan na ito.&quot;But he withheld those plans because Beijing rejected the move.&quot;Tapos ang China sent word na, &#x27;Please do not do that,&#x27;&quot; Duterte said. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/08/17/duterte-to-china-thank-you-for-loving-us">Duterte to China: Thank you for loving us</a></li></ul>He earlier set off alarm bells when he said he had ordered troops to occupy uninhabited islets and shoals that the Philippines claims in the Spratly Islands. Philippine officials later said plans were to upgrade existing facilities and not occupy new territories.China claims most of the South China Sea through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes annually. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam also have claims.Duterte has turned Philippine foreign policy upside down by making overtures towards China and fiercely rebuking traditional ally the United States. Duterte wants China to be a major investor in the Philippines.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/blogs/opinions/04/11/17/opinion-duterte-cant-sell-ph-land-in-spratlys-to-china">OPINION: Duterte can’t sell PH land in Spratlys to China</a></li></ul>Duterte puts the blame for current maritime tensions squarely on Washington, for not intervening to stop China building and arming artificial islands in the Philippines&#x27; exclusive economic zone.China&#x27;s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying has said that there was &quot;close and effective communication&quot; between Beijing and Manila. - with a report from Reuters

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said he will no longer plant the Philippine flag in Kalayaan town in the disputed Spratlys archipelago because China won't like it.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said he will no longer plant the Philippine flag in Kalayaan town in the disputed Spratlys archipelago because China won't like it.

Duterte won't plant PH flag in Kalayaan because of China friendship | ABS-CBN

Halalan 2025

Entertainment

News

Metro.Style

Lifestyle

Sports

More

Traffic

Horoscope

News

Duterte won't plant PH flag in Kalayaan because of China friendship

Duterte won't plant PH flag in Kalayaan because of China friendship

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 13, 2017 02:01 AM PHT

|

Updated Apr 13, 2017 02:42 AM PHT

Read More:

Rodrigo Duterte

West Philippine Sea

Kalayaan Island Group

Spratlys

China

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.