President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday said the Philippines would never ive up fighting for its sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea—but ruled out war with China. “(Chinese) President Xi Jinping is my friend, and we have talked a lot in the many visits that I did in the past years,” Duterte said in a mix of Filipino and English. “But I made it clear to him that we cannot give up sovereignty over the waters in the Philippine Sea, including the exclusive economic zone because it’s vital for our national life.” Meanwhile, Duterte on Sunday led the country’s 124th Independence Day rites at Rizal Park, Manila City.

Barcelo, V., & Tuyay, F. (2022, June 13). ‘Fight for PH rights in WPS’. Manila Standard, pp. A1, A2.