MANILA, Philippines — “I never, never in my campaign as president, promised the people that I would retake the West Philippine Sea,” President Rodrigo Duterte in a pre-recorded briefing that was aired on Monday.
“I did not promise that I would pressure China. I never mentioned [anything] about China and the Philippines in my campaign because that — it was a very serious matter,” he went on.
“I never promised anything. Just because I’m president you want me now to pick a fight?” he added, speaking partly in Filipino.
He said dealing with China’s incursions in the West Philippine Sea would have to be done through diplomacy — through the Departm…
Keep on reading: ‘I never promised‘ anything about West Philippine Sea during election campaign – Duterte