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A group of left-wing activists heckled and disrupted a televised Independence Day speech Tuesday by the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and called him a “traitor” amid criticism of his handling of territorial disputes with China. Photo: AFP

Protesters disrupt Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte’s Independence Day speech over South China Sea disputes

He asked law enforcers to deal with the troublemakers ‘with maximum tolerance’ as the audience, which included ambassadors, waited

A group of left-wing activists heckled and disrupted a televised Independence Day speech Tuesday by the Philippine president and called him a “traitor” amid criticism of his handling of territorial disputes with China.

President Rodrigo Duterte briefly halted his speech during the commotion and calmly watched from a historic balcony in Kawit town, south of Manila, as police pulled the protesters away. He asked law enforcers to deal with the protesters “with maximum tolerance” as the audience, which included ambassadors, waited.

“Just let them … our constitution guarantees freedom of the press, freedom of assembly and expression,” Duterte said as the small but rowdy group of young protesters yelled “Oust Duterte”, “Traitor”, and “Fascist”.

The president later resumed his speech, which focused on his battle against illegal drugs, corruption and terrorism, in the house in Cavite province where Philippine independence from Spain was declared on June 12, 1898.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting in April. A group of left-wing activists heckled and disrupted a televised Independence Day speech by the Philippine president and called him a “traitor” amid criticism of his handling of territorial disputes with China. Photo: EPA

“We may not understand each other but, at least, there is a common denominator and that is love of country,” Duterte said. “Nobody but nobody can ever question my love for the country.”

Duterte has come under fire from critics who say he has been far too soft on China over contested South China Sea territories. Officials say his close engagement with China has fostered talks over the long-seething disputes and won Chinese infrastructure funds, trade and investment.

Critics, however, said Duterte’s approach has further emboldened China with its increasingly assertive actions in one of the world’s busiest waterways. They cited reports that Chinese coastguard officials have repeatedly boarded Philippine fishing boats and taken their fish catch in recent months at disputed Scarborough Shoal, which was seized by China from the Philippines after a tense stand-off in 2012.

China allowed Filipinos to return and fish at Scarborough after Duterte rekindled relations with Beijing after he took office in 2016.

Protesters burn a Chinese flag during a protest against China's deployment of missiles on Philippine-claimed reefs. A group of left-wing activists disrupted a televised Independence Day speech by the Philippine president and called him a “traitor” amid criticism of his handling of territorial disputes with China. Photo: AP

“It is a complete foreign policy disaster. … It betrays our heroes’ struggle for independence against foreign colonisers,” opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros cited Duterte’s refusal to demand immediate Chinese compliance with a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated China’s vast claims to the South China Sea and upheld the Philippines’ sovereign rights to vast stretches of waters.

On the sidelines of the Kawit ceremony, Duterte briefly discussed the Chinese coastguard’s reported actions against Filipino fishermen with Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua, who later told reporters that Chinese authorities are investigating the reports.

If the reports are true, “let’s view it as an isolated incident,” Zhao said, adding that such incidents should not affect the improved ties between the Asian neighbours.

“If we have bad apples, you know what I’m going to do? I’m going to throw them into the South China Sea and feed the fish,” Zhao said in jest.

A map of the Benham Bank along Philippine Rise, where Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is sending a group of Filipino scientists for research to assert the country's sovereignty over the waters. Photo: EPA

“China has made appropriate arrangement for the Philippine fishermen to fish in relevant waters out of goodwill,” the Chinese embassy in Manila said in a statement. “This policy remains unchanged.”

Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and Brunei also claim the South China Sea partly or in its entirety. Tensions escalated in recent years after China turned seven disputed reefs into islands that rival claimants fear could be used as a springboard for its military to fortify its claims.

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