China has assured President Duterte there will be no construction in Panatag Shoal, denying earlier reports that it would pursue plans to put up a monitoring station in the disputed area in the West Philippine Sea. Duterte said he got the assurance in the wake of serious concerns raised by some critics, including Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, over his statements allowing freedom of navigation in the disputed seas. It was also during the bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping that he reached out for peace and made known that he would set aside the UN arbitration ruling that gave Manila the historical rights in the South China Sea.

Mendez, C., Romero, A., Sy, M., & Clapano, J. R. (2017, March 24). Beijing to Rody: No structures in Panatag. Philippine Star, p. 14.