As the Philippines heads into a new political dispensation, much of the country is how President-elect Rodrigo Duterte will sooner or later deal with the issue of China's aggressive intrusion into the West Philippine Sea (or areas of the South China Sea lying within the country's exclusive economic zone prescribed by international law). By this time, thanks or no thanks to a media feeding frenzy over the maverick presidential winner from the south, who hasn't heard or read Duterte's public statements (or watched him on television) on the country's territorial conflict with China? His pronouncements have sent mixed, nay, contradictory, signals on where he stands or sits amid this simmering maritime flashpoint in Philippine-Sino ties.

Bacalla, T. (2016, June 20). West Philippine Sea: Beyond sound bites. Malaya Business Insight, p. B5.