By Argyll Geducos and Genalyn Kabiling President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO) “Pag-Asa Island belongs to us. Is that yung base natin? China would nev­er do that, I assure you unless China wants a war with us. Hindi ako papayag kung pati yung Pag-asa i-occupy nila? No, of course not,” he said dur­ing a chance interview with reporters after the national assembly of prosecu­tors in Palawan. The President said he was not warn­ing China but was giving the Asian giant friendly advice. “I am trying to tell China: Yung Pag-Asa is ours. We have been there 1974. Kung inyo 'yan, bakit hindi ninyo pinaalis kami (If that is yours then why haven't you driven us out of there)?” he said late Thursday evening. “So let us be friends but do not touch Pag-Asa Island and the rest. Otherwise, things would be different. This is not a warning, this is just a word of advice to my friends kasi kaibigan tayo ng (because we are a friend of) China,” he added. War ruled out The President, however, ruled out going to war with China over the territorial row, saying he would work for a “compromise” instead amid the reported presence of at least 275 Chi­nese vessels near Pag-Asa Island. “If we go to war or there is a vio­lent conflict, we would never win and I would suffer beyond imagination. I would just go there send my soldiers and policemen to be slaughtered. I am not prepared to do that,” he said. He admitted that it would be a suicide if the country resorts to the use of force against China. “Kung gusto natin we have two op­tions – we drive them away by force, can we do that? Unless we want to commit suicide,” he said. “If you go to war, the first step of China would be to launch its missile in seven minutes it would arrive Manila before you can make a fourth of your journey to where you want to go,” he added. Don’t harm Filipinos But Duterte said he will not hesi­tate to shed blood if the Chinese would harm Filipinos in the Pag-Asa Island. “And I assure you that if they kill or arrest people there who are Filipi­nos, then that would be the time that we will have to decide on what to do,” he added. “So nakikiusap ako (I am asking you). I will not plead or beg, but I am just telling you to lay off the Pag-Asa because may mga sundalo ako diyan. 'Pag 'yan ang ginalaw ninyo, ibang istorya na 'yan (I have soldiers there. If you harm them, then that will be a different story),” he said. On the Chinese ships swarming around Pag-asa Island, Duterte ac­knowledged that China has “gobbled up” the whole of the South China Sea on the belief it owns the territory. But so far, he pointed out that China has not harmed any Filipino. “Para sa kanila, kanila yan so they felt free to roam around but they never harmed or arrested any Filipino, I am sure it has something to do with the greater game of geopolitics. And it is not di­rected to us,” he said. “That is part of the conflict be­cause they have gobbled up the whole of China Sea. Para sa kanila, kanila ‘yan (For them it belongs to them). So they feel free to roam around and do whatever – but they actually never harmed or arrested any Filipino,” he said. President Duterte has opted to set aside the country's conflict with China on the disputed waters and build stronger relations with the Asian giant. He assured that he would raise with China the Arbitral Ruling favor­able to the Philippines before he steps down as president.