Duterte to Carpio: China constructive occupation started during Aquino administration

The constructive occupation by China of the West Philippine Sea happened during the Aquino administration, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday.

Amid former Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio's criticisms of his supposed silence on the presence of Chinese warships and militia vessels in the area, Duterte also called out the United States for supposedly telling the Philippines to retreat.

"The constructive occupation of China happened during the Aquino administration," Duterte said at his weekly talk to the people.

In apparent reference to the Scarborough Shoal standoff in 2012 after the Navy tried apprehend eight Chinese fishing vessels, Duterte discussed how the Philippine ships left the area while those of the Chinese stayed.

"There was a standoff. A standoff that maybe was going to a violent stage," Duterte said at his weekly talk to the nation in apparent reference to the standoff at the Scarborough Shoal in 2012.

"Ang nagpaalis sa atin ang Amerika. Ang usapan, ang Pilipinas mag-retreat. Ang China mag-retreat. Ang ginawa ng Pilipinas nag-retreat. Ang ginawa ng China hindi nag-retreat," he added.

[The US told us to leave. The agreement was for the both the Philippines and China to leave the area. The Philippines withdrew. The Chinese didn't.]

"The constructive occupation was completed. It was a notice to the world na nu'ng hindi sila umalis, tayo ang umalis, ang ibig sabihin, amin 'to. Kaya ka umalis," Duterte said.

[It was a notice to the world that when they stood their ground while our forces left, it meant that the area was theirs. That's why we left.]

Duterte said then President Benigno Aquino III's foreign secretary, Albert Del Rosario was in charge of the situation.

He said Del Rosario was in contact with the Americans.

"At bakit umalis? Eh, itong si Secretary Albert, usap ng Amerikanbo, takot sa  gera. Sana hinayaan na lang nila," Duterte said.

[Why did we leave? Secretary Albert was talking with the Americans, afraid of war. They should have just let us be.]

Del Rosario and Carpio were at the forefront of the Philippines' case against China's claims in the West Philippine Sea.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in 2016 invalidated China's historical claims and upheld the Philippines exclusive economic zone under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. 

While his spokesperson said Duterte was standing by the arbitral award that benefited the Philippines, the President on Monday said, "Do you think China will obey the United Nations?"

"If the United Nations will ask China to surrender because of that award given to us, ibibigay ba ng China yan?" Duterte said. 

"Can the United Nations compel China and do you think China will give it freely because of the United Nations' demand?" he added.  --NB, GMA News