"Kaya dapat kailangan na friendly ang approach natin diyan, hindi hard, assertive and aggressive approach," former senate president Juan Ponce Enrile told Duterte after the latter invited him in his weekly address to the nation.
"Sapagkat kung hindi tayo magkakaunawaan sa Tsina ay madadamay ang interest ng ating mga kababayan, ang ating ekonomiya, pati na rin ang ating seguridad dito sa usapin na ito," he added.
Enrile also advised Duterte to not depend on the US in order to protect the country's sovereign rights.
"Hindi tayo maaaring umasa sa ating mga kaalyado, kahit na sila na ang pinakamalaks na puwersa sa ating planeta sapagkat marami rin silang problema sa kanilang buhay, sa kanilang bansa," he said.
In April, the President said that the country will not go to war against China as it was in 'great debt' ver donated COVID-19 vaccines.
‘Mayroon tayong utang na loob na marami, pati ‘yung bakuna natin. So China, let it be known, is a good friend and we don’t want trouble with them, especially a war,” the President said.
Enrile, who served as Defense chief during the Marcos regime, urged Duterte to strengthen the Philippine military just as China did.
Likewise, he told the President to ignore his critics regarding the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea.
"I think you will be able to handle it well in the manner you are doing it now because we'll lose more if we antagonize China. We have no choice except to negotiate with China," Enrile added.
