Duterte to China:"Scarborough is ours."

On Sunday, President Rodrigo Duterte announced that he insisted to the Chinese officials, including President Xi Jinping regarding the Scarborough Shoal being the possession of the Philippines.

During his visit in calamity-stricken Tuguegarao City in Cagayan, he mentioned this on his speech.

"Ang China ang sabi nila amin 'yan. Sabi ko amin man din 'yan," Duterte said

Both parties insisted that the shoal belong to them but Duterte said China has agreed to allow Filipino fishermen to enter the area which is considered as part of the Masinloc town in Zambales.

"Ang pagkaalam ko pinaalis na rin niya (Xi) iyong mga Chinese na fishermen para wala nang makita diyan. Iyon ang pinag-usapan namin," he said.

"We will just wait for a few more days, baka makabalik na tayo doon sa Scarborough Shoal.. [sa] pangingisda ng ating mga kababayan," he added.

Duterte proposed during his meeting with the Chinese officials that both countries should keep off the shoal's inner lagoon which is the are of the shoal that serves as a safe shelter for fishermen from tropical cyclones.

"Ako na mismo ang nagsabi kung makabalik tayo sa Scarborough, bilang may-ari, sila rin naman nagsabi na [sila ang] may-ari, ako na mismo magsabi na huwag kayong mangisda diyan (inner lagoon)," he said.