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The Philippine President issued a serious threat to the government in Beijin on Friday over the disputed Manila Island in the South China Sea.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to send his nation´s military on a "suicide mission", Friday, if the Chinese government does not back off from the disputed Manila Island.
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Duterte reportedly made this comment while speaking at a rally in the Philippine city of Puerto Princesa this week.
"Let us be friends, but do not touch Pagasa Island and the rest," Duterte said, according to CNN Philippines, using the Philippine word Pagasa for the island ofThitu. "If you make moves there, that's a different story. I will tell my soldiers, 'Prepare for suicide mission'."
The Philippine President allegedly said that his words were not meant to be a warning, but rather "advice to my friends."
"I will not plead or beg, but I'm just telling you that lay off the Pag-asa because I have soldiers there," he continued.
The Philippine government previously issued a statement claiming that the Chinese Navy sent as many as 275 vessels to Manila´s Thitu Island.
"It has been observed that Chinese vessels have been present in large numbers and for sustained and recurring periods — what is commonly referred to as 'swarming' tactics — raising questions about their intent as well as concerns over their role in support of coercive objectives," the Philippine government's statement read.
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