President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday expressed his willingness to temporarily set aside the ruling of an arbitral tribunal in settling the country’s dispute with China.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks during a news conference in Davao city, southern Philippines, on August 21. REUTERS/Lean Daval Jr
During his speech at the National Heroes Day rites at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, Duterte told Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jinhua that he does not want to go to war with China.

The president said he will stay silent on the matter of the South China Sea dispute as it might lead to the suspension of talks with China.

“I will not use the judgment (of the) arbitral (tribunal) now but I would one day sit in front of your representative or you and then I will lay bare my position and I would say that this paper, I cannot get out of the four corners of this law and that is the arbitral judgment,” Duterte told the Chinese envoy.

http://atimes.com/2016/08/duterte-wants-to-set-aside-ruling-on-south-china-sea-for-now/