Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III believes that the Philippines has "no other recourse" but to negotiate with China on the issue at the West Philippine Sea, echoing President Duterte that the country could not afford to go to war.

For Sotto, the Philippines only has two choices in dealing with the territorial dispute, since China refuses to recognize the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its sweeping claim over the South China Sea.

"So what do we want to do? For those who are, ika nga (say), criticizing the President on his statements, what do you want to do? There are only two things that we can do: One, negotiate, or two, go to war? Which one do you want?" Sotto told reporters in an online press briefing on Thursday, May 6.

"If I were the President, I will ask them, I will ask these critics: Anong gusto niyo sa dalawa (which of the two would you choose)? Negotiate or go to war? That's the only thing we can do there, negotiate," he added.

Sotto was asked about Duterte saying on Wednesday, May 5, that the arbitration award the ruled in favor of the Philippines was nothing more than a piece of paper that he could "throw in a wastebasket."

The President addressed calls for him to invoke the ruling against China's aggressions in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Sotto agreed with the President and said that even if the arbitration favored the Philippines' claim, there was no mention that China should leave the area.

"Walang laman, eh. Sinasabi lang meron tayong say doon sa area, walang sinasabi doon sa tribunal na palayasin ang China, eh. Siguro nabasa ng Presidenteng ganon kaya ganoon ang sinasabi niya. (It has no value. It just said that we have a say over the area, but it didn't say that we should expel China. Maybe the President read it that way that's why he was saying that)," Sotto surmised.

"The bottomline is what I said earlier: There is no other recourse, we negotiate or we go to war," he reiterated.

Still, Sotto did not think that Duterte's remarks do not diminish the efforts of the government's defense sector to uphold the country's sovereign rights over the WPS.

He said the government should avoid armed conflict but "tell them that it's ours", citing the Philippine Coast Guard for shooing Chinese vessels out of the Sabina (Escoda) Shoal.

The Philippines, anyway, has its Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States should China instigate an armed conflict, he added.

"It's always a sword of Damocles. The MDT and the VFA (visiting forces agreement) is a sword of Damocles over the problem with China," Sotto said.

Earlier, Sotto objected to "condemning" China for its incursions in the WPS, maintaining that it is still a "friend" to the Philippines.