Philippines' Duterte warns China of 'reckoning'

Yahoo ^ | 08/24/2016 | AFP

[DFG]

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte warned Wednesday of a "reckoning" with China if there was no resolution to a tense dispute over rival claims to the South China Sea.

An international tribunal ruled last month that China's claims to most of the strategically vital waters had no legal basis, in what was seen as a sweeping victory for the Philippines, which filed the case.

Duterte repeatedly had said he did not want to anger China with an aggressive response, and sent an envoy to ease tensions, but on Wednesday signalled he was prepared to adopt a more confrontational approach.

"We will not raise hell now because of the judgement but there will come a time that we will have to do some reckoning about this," Duterte said in a speech to soldiers at a military camp.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Uh oh. Duterte doesn’t bluff.

[struggle]

If they start a war, China will invade the Philippines until they get to Cebu, then they’ll turn around.

[DoughtyOne]

Let's have another round of applause for the results that are now coming home to roost, due to our 20 years of trade with China.


Ramirez's latest political cartoon LARGE VERSION 08/21/2016: LINK  LINK to regular sized version of Ramirez's latest, and an archive of his political cartoons.
In this political cartoon, Ramirez presents, "Obama's Disaster"


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...this is a general all-purpose message, and should not be seen as targeting any individual I am responding to...

[HiTech RedNeck]

Hey Rodrigo. Look up “Pyrrhic.” And anyhow weren’t you just hooting about creating a U.N. alternative with China? Ain’t that easier with friends?

[LambSlave]

Hmmm, this could be the trigger of WW3.

[indthkr]

South China Sea dispute bump for later....

[HiTech RedNeck]

Nah. The trigger of “Rodrigo squashed like a bug by a laughing China” maybe.

[JDMEJIA]

Can everybody say “Wag The Dog”? He’s just desperately trying to save face after making an epic fool of himself (and the Philippines) for brazenly threatening to leave the U.N. (when the Philippines is one of the most dependent countries in the world on foreign aid, especially from the U.N.) and then immediately backtracking so fast it left skid marks.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/143179/duterte-on-un-pullout-cant-you-take-a-joke

http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2016/08/22/spokesman-duterte-hungry-said-philippines-leave-un/

[Aaron0617]

If they start a war, China will invade the Philippines until they get to Cebu, then they’ll turn around.

Why do you say that?

I have Filipino coworkers, and the Philippines (Cebu) or Thailand are on my list of Asian countries to someday visit. Although recent events in both countries has me concerned. anyway, just wondering.

[LambSlave]

The strategic concerns of the region already elevate it to top priority for pretty much every nation; access to oil and safe passage of sea vessels. Regardless of what happens in the initial event, I believe it would still be the trigger to an event that would be global in scope.

[Harpotoo]

He can get the Vietnamese and Japs to join him and then the fun begins.

[HiTech RedNeck]

A peeing match between China and Philippines won’t be much of a war.

I’m tempted to say go right ahead Rodrigo, show us just how macho you are.

Big kerfuffle for a whole week, then Rodrigo either is dead or has tail tucked permanently between legs.

[submarinerswife]

I’m starting to like this little guy. I really am.

[submarinerswife]

My Dad told me once that Philipinno men that he served with in the ‘50s were “ the toughest sonofabitchs that he has ever met.”

I believe that they have had their fill of a EU type of oppression for long enough, choosing their own destiny with Durante.