Duterte: Equal sharing from Chinese bonanza

IMMEDIATE AID President Duterte hands over P5,000 cash as immediate assistance to survivors of Supertyphoon “Lawin” at the People’s Gymnasium in Tuguegarao City. Looking on are Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo and Special Assistant to the President Bong Go. —RICHARD A. REYES

TUGUEGARAO CITY—President Duterte on Sunday promised that every Filipino would get an equal share from investment pledges made by China, where he made a state visit during the week Supertyphoon “Lawin” devastated Cagayan Valley, the Ilocos and the Cordillera regions.

Mr. Duterte addressed families here who evacuated to safe ground, when Lawin’s 300 kph winds damaged houses and destroyed crops in Cagayan province on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

Saying half of the 2016 budget had been spent by the Aquino administration, Mr. Duterte said the government was allocating P32.819 million worth of certified rice seeds, 3,500 bags of certified corn seeds, and 1,004 kilograms of assorted vegetable seeds to typhoon victims.

He also directed the release of 1.4 million bags of rice as immediate assistance to the victims in Cagayan.

The President assured the province that his administration had resources, citing the Chinese investments worth $13 billion to $14 billion, “which would translate to P700 billion.”

“We have assistance…We have money if the deals with China proceed and if they take pity on us and give them out immediately,” he said.

Mechanized farming

“I promise you a big slice [from Chinese investments],” Mr. Duterte said, adding that he would develop mechanized farming that would be distributed equitably among the provinces.

“No one gets an advantage, regardless of whether he or she is a Visayan or a Moro. All would get equal share,” he said.

The President said people should pray his negotiations with Japan during his state visit there on Oct. 25 would also be fruitful.

“These are not doles, but soft loans, which are payable in 25 years. So, it may as well be considered a donation,” he said.

“We are OK. As a nation, we are OK,” he said.

Mr. Duterte said he and Chinese President Xi Jinping did not talk about military issues. “We spoke about how we can help each other,” he said.

But he added, “Wait for a few more days, we may return to Scarborough Shoal.”

He said the Philippines would assert that its owned the shoal, as much as China insisted it had rights over it. The shoal, also known as Panatag and Bajo de Masinloc, is 260 kilometers from Zambales province.

Preserving Scarborough

He said part of the discussion would be preserving the shoal, a rich fishing ground.

“I will assert, should we return to Scarborough Shoal as its rightful owners, although China says it is theirs. I will say let us no longer fish there so more fish can spawn,” he said.

“My understanding is China has driven away their own fishermen from the shoal. That’s what we talked about. I don’t know if they would fulfill it,” he said.

In Isabela province, Mr. Duterte distributed 1,000 boxes of rice and P37 million worth of seeds as emergency assistance to typhoon victims. He assured them that they would be the “priority [in government assistance] by next year.”