President Rodrigo Duterte made the remark during his visit to typhoon-hit Tuguegarao in Cagayan, where he touched on his recent state visit to China.
“Wala po kaming pinag-usapang armas, wala kaming pinag-usapang giyera giyera. Pinag-usapan namin paano tayo magtutulungan. We will just wait for a few more days, baka makabalik na tayo doon sa Scarborough shoal, sa pangingisda ng ating mga kababayan,” President Duterte said.
Upon returning from Beijing, Duterte on Friday said he raised the Scarborough Shoal issue in “private talks” with Chinese authorities but refused to elaborate on their meeting, saying he was leaving the matter to them.
“Yes of course we did (bring up the issue). I leave it to the Chinese authorities what they will do in the next few days. Napag-usapan namin pero no… I leave it to them… But tignan natin
Let’s see what develops in the days to come,” he said in a press briefing in Davao.
Duterte earlier said the Philippines “cannot win” the case of the Scarborough or the Panatag Shoal, the traditional fishing ground that China seized from the country after a two-month standoff in 2012.