Despite his administration’s good connections with the Chinese government, President Rodrigo Duterte has stated that he would not abandon the West Philippine Sea.

Duterte, whose six-year tenure expires in June, stated that no Philippine president has the authority to relinquish control of the waterway, sections of which are claimed by China. However, he insisted that the US could not go to war with China.

“As a matter of principle, hindi namin iiwanan ‘yung claim namin because I, o sila Duterte noon, sila Ramos, they have no right at all, pati kami, to relinquish the claim na, ‘O sige, huwag na lang para walang gulo,'” he stated in the state-run show “The Chatroom,” which appeared Sunday.

(We won’t abandon our claims because presidents, they have no right at all to relinquish claims and decide, “Oh we won’t assert it so there would not be any war.”)

“Hindi namin puwedeng gawin ‘yan eh, (We cannot do that)” he said.

He said that the country’s lack of military strength required his administration to take a friendlier approach toward China, despite its intrusions into Philippine seas.