There may have been warmer ties between the Philippines and China since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office, but it does not mean he is setting aside the international arbitral court ruling that dismissed China’s case in the South China Sea.

“There is a misperception among us the Filipinos that the President really set aside the ruling, that’s not true,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a forum at Camp Aguinaldo on Thursday.

“He said this many times in front of us that ‘wag nating pag-usapan. Let’s not talk about this for a while. Let’s manage the conflict with the Chinese to allow our people to go back to their livelihood,” he added.

But the President himself said last year he would not press China on the international court ruling amid reports of installation of military weapons on its reclaimed islands in the South China Sea.

Read more: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/153207/duterte-not-setting-aside-arbitral-court-ruling-says-lorenzana#ixzz4at6OAjGc