(NI BETH CAMIA)

MULING  tiniyak ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na sinabi na nito kay  Chinese President Xi Jinping na binabawalan nito ang tropa ng Amerika na manghimasok sa Pag-asa island na sakop ng pinag-aagawang West Philippine Sea.

Sa isang panayam, muli ring binanggit ni Duterte na nakipag usap na ito kay Xi at tinanong kung bakit maraming barko ang nakapaligid sa nasabing isla.

“Why are you surrounding my island with so many ships? You’re wasting your gasoline,” tanong ni Duterte kay Xi.

Ang nasabing pakikipag-usap ni Duterte kay Xi ay nangyari nang magtungo ang Pangulo sa Beijing, China noong Abril para dumalo sa  Belt and Road Forum at nakipagkita kay Xi.

“That’s my exact words. You’re wasting your gasoline. You might as well give it to us,” diin pa ng Pangulo.

Dagdag pa ni Duterte kay Xi, “I told you I will not allow. As long as I am the President, any American to set foot on that Pag-asa. Because I know that it will create really trouble. And I will not allow their arms. If it’s a Philippine government arms given to us by America, well that’s another story. If you want, you can give us a better one.”

Pero nilinaw naman ng Pangulo na hindi ito galit nang sabihin ang mga katagang iyon.

“I was not angry but sinabi ko, Mr. President (Xi), I will never allow the Americans to set foot on any of the islands controlled by the Philippines? That we will not start any war and that I will never allow American weapons to be stationed in that island?” dagdag pa ng Pangulo.

Sinabihan din ni Duterte si Xi na payagang mangisda ang mga Filipino sa pinag-aagawang isla.

“Do not deprive them (fishermen) because you know we are poor. You prohibit us. You will just create the inflation to go higher,” diretsahang pahayag ng Pangulo kay Xi.