Duterte believes F-16 purchase “a blunder”

by Chito A. Fuentes

PASAY CITY - Mayor Rodrigo Duterte believes the Philippines committed a mistake when it purchased two jet fighter planes. 

Duterte gave his take on the acquisition as a side comment during a speech before the joint meeting of two JCI chapters. 

“The decision to buy two F-16s is really a blunder,” Duterte declared as he discussed the China problem.

The F-16 is a 1974 American multi-role jet fighter.

Duterte questioned the acquisition of the two fighter planes, noting that it would be no match to Chinese airpower.

“How would it help?” he asked.

Duterte said it would have been better if the Aquino administration acquired gunboats instead.

“(The gunboats) are fast, mobile that can be deployed everywhere, at saka may firepower,” he added.

Duterte, a licensed pilot, pointed to the futility of even just considering an armed confrontation with one of the world’s superpowers.

“We cannot go to war, we cannot fight China,” the mayor emphatically declared to stress the obvious.

Duterte believes diplomacy has a better chance to arrive at a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The mayor also reiterated his contention that the Philippine must not rely too much on the support of the United States.

“America would not die for us,” he stressed.

Duterte said that if the US was really serious in protecting Philippine interest against China, it would have “deployed the 7th fleet in front of that atoll” when work on the contested structures was only starting.

Instead, he said the US did not make a move.

“Now it’s there. (The US) allowed it to be finished,” he added.

Duterte said the problem with China is one of the headaches that the next president would have to do deal with, one reason why he does not want to run.

While Duterte maintains that he is not interested, his grasp of the Chinese problem, among other pressing issues, adds fuel to the fire to the clamor for him to run.

Duterte’s reputation as a problem-solver is one of his advantages over other contenders in a country where so many problems remain unsolved despite campaign promises to do so. (CHITO A. FUENTES)

IF I BECOME PRESIDENT - Duterte tells Chinese: You better watch out

by Chito A. Fuentes

VALENCIA CITY – China has reason to watch out if Mayor Rodrigo Duterte becomes the next president.

The tough-talking mayor was winding up his talk on federalism in this city Wednesday when he suddenly shifted to the controversial Chinese incursions into Philippine territory.

“Kung ako ma-presidente, bantay lang mo mga insika mo (If I become president, you Chinese better watch out),” Duterte declared, drawing laughter and applause from his audience inside the Valencia City gym.

Admitting that he has Chinese blood on his father’s side, the mayor appeared determined to decisively deal with the perceived Chinese aggression into Philippine territory. 

The aggressive Chinese posturing in the disputed West Philippine sea has slowly stirred national pride among Filipinos who resent the bullying – and the county’s apparent helplessness to do something about it against the emerging economic and military giant. 

Duterte, however, showed he already has a plan on how to deal with the problem.

“If I am the one to decide, I will cut Palawan lengthwise into two. The inner half will remain with us. The outer half I will lease to the United States,” the mayor said in Cebuano.

Duterte hinted that he will be willing to lease the allocated area to the Americans for, “say, $5,000 a month” where they will be face to face with the Chinese. 

“You can kill each other there,” he added.

He said the two countries are “there for each other anyway”, in reference to the fight for political supremacy between the US and China in the Asia-Pacific region.

In another forum in Palawan, Duterte said however that if the Chinese stopped their incursions and return to the original territories prior to their recent moves, he will in turn send US troops home.

“No more Balikatan,” he added, referring to the war exercises that are being opposed by leftist organizations suspicious of American intentions to perpetuate US presence in the country.

The mayor has repeatedly opposed American presence in the country and categorically declared he will not allow drones in Davao City.

Duterte’s aggressive position on the Chinese incursions is opposed to the position taken by Vice President Jejomar Binay who is pushing for bilateral talks between Manila and Beijing over the disputed South China sea.

“China has money, we need capital,” Binay was quoted as saying during his interview with Station DzYM in Catarman, Northern Samar last April 12.

Rappler said Binay made his comments days before President Benigno Aquino III said China’s actions in the South China Sea “should spark fear” around the world.

Like Duterte, Aquino has Chinese blood.

 In particular, Binay called for a “joint venture” between the Philippines and China in developing the natural resources in the South China sea, a part of which Filipinos consider the West Philippine sea. (CHITO A. FUENTES)