JUST can't get over the topic begun on Saturday; Duterte unequivocally proclaims China will invade the Philippines in the event of a nuclear war. No doubt that he meant just that. What needs to be ascertained are ramifications of his premise: China's perceived attack on the Philippines is mainly conditioned on the fact that America is here.
Here's the President's statement, as quoted from a video presentation on YouTube: 'So, kasali talaga tayo diyan kasi ano, let us not kid each other, nandito 'yung America. The reason I said why I gave the orders to our military to allow them unrestricted [pre-positioning of equipment, building of structures and rotation of forces through five designated Philippine bases: Antonio Bautista Air Base, Basa Air Base, Fort Magsaysay, Lumbia Air Base and Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base. At any rate, those orders are in accord with provisions of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) inked during the administration of the late President Noynoy Aquino. US military access to these bases drastically reduces its response time to any Chinese provocation or escalation in the South China Sea.'