Is it “possession” or “position?” President Duterte’s pronouncement on the West Philippine Sea issue in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday may have been lost in translation – or pronunciation. In his fourth SONA, Duterte said the Chinese could no longer be driven away from some areas within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) because they were already “in possession” of the West Philippine Sea.

Mendez, C., & Tupas, E. (2019, July 24). Security execs: China 'in position,' not 'in possession'. The Philippine Star, pp. 1, 10.