MANILA - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday
ordered the occupation of uninhabited islands and shoals it claims
in the disputed South China Sea, asserting Philippine sovereignty
in an apparent change of tack likely to anger China.
The firebrand leader, who on the campaign trail joked that he
would jet ski to a Chinese man-made island in the South China Sea
to reinforce Manila's claim, also said he may visit a
Philippine-controlled island to raise the national flag.
"The unoccupied, which are ours, let's live on it," Duterte told
reporters during a visit to a military base in Palawan, near the
disputed waters.
"It looks like everyone is making a grab for the islands there.
So we better live on those that are still unoccupied. What's ours
now, we claim it and make a strong point from there."
Duterte's plan is unlikely to sit well with China, which lays
claim to almost all the South China Sea, especially as it comes
amid a fast-warming relationship in recent months.
http://www.todayonline.com/world/philippines-duterte-plans-visit-disputed-south-china-sea-island
