MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is not in complete possession of the West Philippine Sea, President Rodrigo Duterte admitted on Monday, saying that the only way to recover it would be to use force.
Duterte finally spoke about the issue in his pre-recorded briefing weeks after the Philippine Coast Guard reported the presence of Chinese Maritime Militia around Julian Felipe Reef, which is inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
“I asked [Defense] Secretary [Delfin] Lorenzana: Can we go there? Can we send our ships to the Spratly Islands? Of course, it should be the Coast Guard. We do not send gray ships, or warships, there,” Duterte said, speaking partly in Filipino….
Keep on reading: Duterte insists force needed to regain control over West Philippine Sea