Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

Duterte seeks Chinese coronavirus vaccine, rules out US bases in Philippines

‘I made a plea to Xi Jinping. Can we be one of the first to have it … or can we buy it?’ says Duterte in State of the Nation Address. He rules out confronting Beijing in the South China Sea as ‘[China is] in possession of the property’

President Rodrigo Duterte told lawmakers on Monday he had asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to help the Philippines get priority access to a Covid-19 vaccine, as the country struggles with the coronavirus pandemic that has battered the economy.

In his annual State of the Nation Address, Duterte said: “Four days ago I made a plea to Xi Jinping. Can we be one of the first to have it … or can we buy it?”

Infections in the Philippines rose to 82,040 on Monday with 1,945 dead, while just over 26,000 people have recovered. It has the second-highest number of infections in Southeast Asia, after Indonesia.

While Duterte, who spoke for more than 90 minutes, asked banks and property companies to help small businesses, and sought their help to revitalise his 8 trillion peso (US$162.44 billion) infrastructure programme, he did not outline the government’s strategy to bring infections down or to increase contact tracing.

He said only that there were now 93 accredited testing laboratories and the government was aiming to conduct 1.4 million tests by this Friday. A Department of Health bulletin showed labs had conducted 1.14 million tests as of July 19.

He also thanked frontline health staff and said the lockdown – among the world’s strictest and longest several months ago – had prevented infections from ballooning to 3.5 million. While the lockdown measures have eased, some restrictions remain in Metro Manila.

He said: “I must admit that our actions have been far from perfect. I admit it. And there could be improvements here and there. But all of us in government, including myself, assure you that we will not stop until we get things right and better for you.”


‘CHINA HAS THE ARMS, WE DON’T’

Duterte also reiterated that he would not confront China over its South China Sea claims, saying diplomacy was the best approach because the alternative was to go to war and he could not afford to do that.

He said, “China is claiming [the West Philippine Sea], we are claiming it. China has the arms, we do not … So it’s simple as that. They are in possession of the property.”

“They are in possession. So what can we do? We have to go to war. And I cannot afford it. Maybe some other president can. But I cannot. I’m helpless there, I tell you, and I’m willing to admit it.”

While he did not give an update on the Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States – earlier this year he had ordered it to be cancelled but last month suspended his order – he ruled out allowing the Americans to once again set up bases in the Philippines because “if war breaks out there will be atomic arsenals” which would “ensure the extinction of the Filipino race”.

For most of the 20th century, the US maintained its two largest bases outside the US in the Philippines at Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base. US forces pulled out of the country in 1992.

Maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal questioned Duterte’s assessment of the situation in the South China Sea. “He clearly does not understand what possession means and entails,” said Batongbacal, the director of the University of the Philippines Institute of Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea.

“The sea is not subject to anyone’s legal possession, nor to any rights beyond what is permitted in the [United Nations Convention on the] Law of the Sea. The mere fact that China has been unable to exclude everyone else from operating in or using the South China Sea, including the Philippines through the Philippine navy, coastguard, air force and also Filipino civilians, directly belies Duterte’s statement.”

At one point during his speech, delivered before a smaller-than-usual audience due to social distancing regulations, Duterte, 75, complained that bad lighting and his poor eyesight made it hard to see the teleprompter.

He rued that “a dream of prosperity for our country was snapped by a pandemic”.

To help the economy recover, he asked lessors to come to a “fair arrangement” with their lessees, banks to give lenders a three-month grace period to help them recover and the Central Bank to give “regulatory relief” to allow loan payment extensions for small and medium enterprises without penalties.

He also suggested that corporate income tax be cut from 30 per cent to 25 per cent, while providing targeted and time bound incentives to businesses.

Among other measures, he said there should be assistance provided to repatriated Filipino workers who had lost their jobs.

He came to life when speaking of his administration’s achievements in the war on drugs, which has resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings, and called for a return to the death penalty via lethal injection for drug crimes.

Duterte also attacked oligarchs and what he called the “economic elite”, claiming he was a “casualty” of the Lopez family, the owners of the recently closed TV network ABS-CBN, whose franchise was not renewed by Congress. He indicated that the network franchise would not be renewed.

Duterte also warned telecommunications companies Globe Telecom and PLDT to improve their services.

University of the Philippines political science professor Jean Franco said Duterte did not seem to have a plan to get the country out of the pandemic but was just making a “series of proposals that seem to stand alone”.

Although Duterte spoke for more than 90 minutes, the recovery measures he presented were “still unclear,” said AB Capital Securities deputy head of research Lexter Azurin.

“The market is hoping for an assurance from the government that it is on top of all the problems now,” Azurin said. “This should further dampen sentiment in our already beaten up local market.”

Hours before Duterte spoke, left-leaning groups staged a protest inside the state-owned University of the Philippines denouncing what they said was his “unbridled fascism” and the passage of the new Anti-Terrorism Act, a law critics say has been made deliberately vague so it can be used to crackdown on any form of dissent.

Duterte’s speech drew three million views while an online protest concert by the Catholic Church, musicians and millennials drew half a million.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
×