Duterte reveals China won’t allow his ouster

In this photo, taken Nov. 11, 2017, and released by China’s Xinhua News Agency, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands as they pose for a photo during a meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in Danang, Vietnam. (Photo by FEI MAOHUA / Xinhua via AP)

ONBOARD BRP DAVAO DEL SUR – President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday revealed that China won’t allow him to be ousted from power.

“The assurances of [Chinese President] Xi Jinping were very encouraging. Eh nandyan iyan sila. ‘We will not allow you to be taken out from your office, and we will not allow the Philippines to go to the dogs,’” Duterte said during a send-off ceremony of Filipino scientists here at Casiguran Bay in Aurora.

“Siguro kasi dahil freely elected leader ako. It could be a very justified statement,” he added.

Despite the country’s maritime dispute at the South China Sea, Duterte has since eased the strained relations between Manila and Beijing, setting aside, for now, the United Nations arbitral ruling that invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea.