Chinese vessels now readily leave the country's waters whenever local coast guard authorities ask them to move away, President Duterte said Monday.
The President made the observation after the coast guard personnel managed to drive away a Chinese naval ship spotted off the coast of Palawan.
"Historically, we never really sent any of our warship, puro coast guard lang. Coast guard is part of the diplomatic (move). We don't send war ships," Duterte said during a televised address Monday, July 19.
"It's very easy for them to go away upon our suggestion," he added.
Duterte admitted though he was at a loss about the reason China easily agrees to leave the country's waters when asked. Instead, he wondered aloud if China wanted to avoid confrontation or if there was something afoot.
The President asked Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who was present in the meeting, to give his view on China's latest strategy. Duterte mentioned that there were two or three past incidents when Chinese vessels granted the Filipino coast guard's request to leave the local waters when spotted.
Speaking to the President, Lorenzana raised the possibility that China knew it was sailing near Palawan, which is not part of the territorial dispute. China, he added, also probably wants to avoid any confrontation with the Philippines in the area.
"Ang suspetsa ko kaya sila umalis dahil napakalapit na nila sa Palawan and that's not contested, sa atin (My suspicion is they left the area because they are close to Palawan and that's not contested. That's ours)," Lorenzana told the President.
"Pangalawa, ayaw nilang magkaroon ng insidente diyan involving their naval ship. Naval ship ang ginagamit nila, samantalang ang ginagamit natin ay yung civilian ship na coast guard. Yun ang mga dahilan siguro kaya ayaw nila ng confrontation (Second, they want to avoid any incident involving their naval ship. They're using a naval ship while we use a civilian ship, the coast guard. That's the reason they probably want to avoid a confrontation)," he said.
The Philippine Coast Guard earlier reported that a Chinese warship was forced to leave Marie Louise Bank near Palawan after issuing a radio challenge. The foreign vessel was spotted sailing in the country's exclusive economic zone last July 13.