Philippines'&nbsp;Rodrigo&nbsp;Duterte&nbsp;and Chinese President&nbsp;Xi&nbsp;Jinping stressed the need to exercise&nbsp;restraint&nbsp;to maintain peace in the&nbsp;South&nbsp;China&nbsp;Sea, Manila's presidential office said on Saturday.

The two leaders held an hour-long telephone summit on Friday, discussing a broad range of topics including concerns over the Ukraine crisis and COVID-19 pandemic responses.

"The leaders stressed the need to exert all efforts to maintain peace, security and stability in the&nbsp;South&nbsp;China&nbsp;Sea&nbsp;by exercising&nbsp;restraint, dissipating tensions and working on a mutually agreeable framework for functional cooperation," the presidential office said in a statement.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-philippines-eye-further-defence-cooperation-at-first-22-meeting-469580">Japan, Philippines eye further defence cooperation at first 2+2 meeting</a>

Both parties were committed to broaden the space for positive engagements even as disputes existed,&nbsp;Duterte's office said.

Since taking office in 2016,&nbsp;Duterte&nbsp;has pursued warmer ties with Beijing, setting aside a longstanding territorial spat over the&nbsp;South&nbsp;China&nbsp;Sea&nbsp;in exchange for billions of dollars of aid, loans and investment pledges.

The two presidents spoke of the importance of continuing discussions and concluding the code of conduct on the&nbsp;South&nbsp;China&nbsp;Sea.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas | Shanghai Covid Outbreak: China deploys drones to silence protesters

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-shanghai-covid-outbreak-china-deploys-drones-to-silence-protesters-469487/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

An international arbitration ruling in the Hague in 2016 invalidated&nbsp;China's&nbsp;sweeping claims to the waterway, through which about $3 trillion worth of ship-borne trade passes annually. The case was brought to the tribunal by Manila.

In March, the Philippines filed a diplomatic protest over a Chinese Coast Guard vessel engaging in "close distance maneuvering" that heightened a risk of collision in the disputed waterway.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-national-sentenced-to-us-prison-after-pleading-guilty-to-stealing-trade-secrets-469401">Chinese national sent to US prison after pleading guilty to stealing trade secrets</a>

Duterte&nbsp;and&nbsp;Xi&nbsp;renewed&nbsp;calls for a peaceful resolution of the situation in Ukraine through dialogue, and pledged to work together in addressing the impacts of climate change, the presidential office said.

Duterte, 77, is set to end his single, six-year term in June.

Philippines' Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the need to exercise restraint to maintain peace in the South China Sea, Manila's presidential office said on Saturday.

Philippines' Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the need to exercise restraint to maintain peace in the South China Sea, Manila's presidential office said on Saturday. The two leaders held an hour-long telephone summit on Friday, discussing a broad range of topics including concerns over the Ukraine crisis and COVID-19 pandemic responses. "The leaders stressed the need to exert all efforts to maintain peace, security and stability in the South China Sea by exercising restraint, dissipating tensions and working on a mutually agreeable framework for functional cooperation," the presidential office said in a statement. Also read | Japan, Philippines eye further defence cooperation at first 2+2 meeting Both parties were committed to broaden the space for positive engagements even as disputes existed, Duterte's office said. Since taking office in 2016, Duterte has pursued warmer ties with Beijing, setting aside a longstanding territorial spat over the South China Sea in exchange for billions of dollars of aid, loans and investment pledges. The two presidents spoke of the importance of continuing discussions and concluding the code of conduct on the South China Sea. Watch | Gravitas | Shanghai Covid Outbreak: China deploys drones to silence protesters An international arbitration ruling in the Hague in 2016 invalidated China's sweeping claims to the waterway, through which about $3 trillion worth of ship-borne trade passes annually. The case was brought to the tribunal by Manila. In March, the Philippines filed a diplomatic protest over a Chinese Coast Guard vessel engaging in "close distance maneuvering" that heightened a risk of collision in the disputed waterway. Also read | Chinese national sent to US prison after pleading guilty to stealing trade secrets Duterte and Xi renewed calls for a peaceful resolution of the situation in Ukraine through dialogue, and pledged to work together in addressing the impacts of climate change, the presidential office said. Duterte, 77, is set to end his single, six-year term in June.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte and China's Xi call for restraint in South China Sea

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday he will deal harshly with terrorism and that martial law on the island of Mindanao would remain in place for a year if necessary.

Duterte cut short a visit to Russia and placed the southern island of Mindanao under martial rule on Tuesday after a fierce bout of fighting erupted during a raid by security forces on a hideout of Islamic State-linked militants.

&quot;To my countrymen who have experienced martial law. It would not be any different from what President Marcos did. I&rsquo;d be harsh,&rdquo; Duterte said in an interview with his assistant communications secretary while onboard a flight back to Manila.

&quot;If it would take a year to do it then we&#39;ll do it. If it&#39;s over with a month, then I&#39;d be happy. To my countrymen, do not be too scared. I&#39;m going home. I will deal with the problem once I arrive,&quot; said Duterte, a native of Mindano.

Two soldiers and a policeman were killed and 12 people wounded amid chaos in Marawi, a predominantly Muslim city of about 200,000 people, where members of the Maute militant group took control of buildings and set fire to a school, a church and a detention facility.

The Philippines endured a decade of martial law under the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos from the early 1970s and memories of campaigns to restore democracy and protect human rights are fresh in the minds of many people.

The military said it was optimistic they could end the conflict sooner rather than later.

&quot;The intent of these security forces, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, is to conclude this rapidly so that we can restore normalcy in that area,&quot; military spokesperson Edgar Arevalo said in an interview with news channel ANC.

The purpose of Tuesday&#39;s raid was to capture Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the Abu Sayyaf group which is notorious for piracy and for kidnapping and beheading Westerners. The U.S. State Department has offered a bounty of up to $5 million for Hapilon&#39;s arrest.

The Maute and Abu Sayyaf militant groups have pledged allegiance to Islamic State, also known as ISIS, and have proved fierce opponents for the military as Duterte seeks to crush extremists and prevent radical Islamist ideology from spreading in the Philippines.

Duterte has warned repeatedly that Mindanao, an impoverished, restive region the size of South Korea, was at risk of &quot;contamination&quot; by Islamic State fighters driven out of Iraq and Syria.

Arevalo insisted there is no ISIS in the Philippines.

&quot;This so-called group who are posing to be ISIS, they are merely courting the acclamation of ISIS which until now they haven&rsquo;t received, that&rsquo;s why they continue with their atrocities,&quot; Arevalo said.

(Reuters)

He said the martial law would remain in place for a year if necessary

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday he will deal harshly with terrorism and that martial law on the island of Mindanao would remain in place for a year if necessary. Duterte cut short a visit to Russia and placed the southern island of Mindanao under martial rule on Tuesday after a fierce bout of fighting erupted during a raid by security forces on a hideout of Islamic State-linked militants. "To my countrymen who have experienced martial law. It would not be any different from what President Marcos did. I’d be harsh,” Duterte said in an interview with his assistant communications secretary while onboard a flight back to Manila. "If it would take a year to do it then we'll do it. If it's over with a month, then I'd be happy. To my countrymen, do not be too scared. I'm going home. I will deal with the problem once I arrive," said Duterte, a native of Mindano. Two soldiers and a policeman were killed and 12 people wounded amid chaos in Marawi, a predominantly Muslim city of about 200,000 people, where members of the Maute militant group took control of buildings and set fire to a school, a church and a detention facility. The Philippines endured a decade of martial law under the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos from the early 1970s and memories of campaigns to restore democracy and protect human rights are fresh in the minds of many people. The military said it was optimistic they could end the conflict sooner rather than later. "The intent of these security forces, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, is to conclude this rapidly so that we can restore normalcy in that area," military spokesperson Edgar Arevalo said in an interview with news channel ANC. The purpose of Tuesday's raid was to capture Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the Abu Sayyaf group which is notorious for piracy and for kidnapping and beheading Westerners. The U.S. State Department has offered a bounty of up to $5 million for Hapilon's arrest. The Maute and Abu Sayyaf militant groups have pledged allegiance to Islamic State, also known as ISIS, and have proved fierce opponents for the military as Duterte seeks to crush extremists and prevent radical Islamist ideology from spreading in the Philippines. Duterte has warned repeatedly that Mindanao, an impoverished, restive region the size of South Korea, was at risk of "contamination" by Islamic State fighters driven out of Iraq and Syria. Arevalo insisted there is no ISIS in the Philippines. "This so-called group who are posing to be ISIS, they are merely courting the acclamation of ISIS which until now they haven’t received, that’s why they continue with their atrocities," Arevalo said. (Reuters)

Duterte places Philippine island under martial law, warns militants: 'I'll be harsh'

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday he was ready to discuss any issues with US President Barack Obama when they meet in Laos next week. But, he added that Obama must listen to him first before bringing up the question of human rights. 
 
Since Duterte became president two months ago, there has been a surge in killings related to drugs. Washington has expressed concerns regarding Philippines&rsquo; war on drugs. 
 
Asked if he would be willing to discuss human rights at his meeting with Obama on the sidelines of an East Asia summit on September 6, Duterte told reporters: &quot;Depends to what degree&quot;. 
 
&quot;They must understand the problem first before we talk about human rights. I would insist, listen to me: this is what the problem is, then we can talk,&quot; Duterte said. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Since Duterte became president two months ago, there has been a surge in killings related to drugs in Philippines

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday he was ready to discuss any issues with US President Barack Obama when they meet in Laos next week. But, he added that Obama must listen to him first before bringing up the question of human rights. Since Duterte became president two months ago, there has been a surge in killings related to drugs. Washington has expressed concerns regarding Philippines’ war on drugs. Asked if he would be willing to discuss human rights at his meeting with Obama on the sidelines of an East Asia summit on September 6, Duterte told reporters: "Depends to what degree". "They must understand the problem first before we talk about human rights. I would insist, listen to me: this is what the problem is, then we can talk," Duterte said. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Obama must understand problem first before discussing human rights: Duterte

Aides to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte sought to backtrack Monday on his threat to leave the United Nations, saying he only meant to express frustration at UN criticism of his deadly war on crime. 
 
&quot;It was a way of stating that the nation is sovereign. Okay? It was not a statement of fact that we are leaving,&quot; presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella told reporters. 
 
In a press conference that began just after 1:00 am on Sunday, Duterte launched a profanity-laced tirade against the UN after two of its rapporteurs expressed alarm at his war on crime, which has claimed more than 1,700 lives in less than two months. 
 
&quot;Maybe we&rsquo;ll just have to decide to separate from the United Nations. If you are that disrespectful, son of a whore, then I will just leave you,&quot; Duterte, who frequently uses swear words to insult his critics and others, said in the press conference. 
 
The UN&#39;s special rapporteur on summary executions, Agnes Callamard, said Duterte&#39;s promise of immunity and bounties to security forces who killed drug suspects violated international law. 
 
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in June also strongly criticised Duterte, who during the election campaign promised to kill 100,000 people and dump so many bodies in Manila Bay that the fish would grow fat from feeding on them. 
 
With Duterte&#39;s threats making global headlines, foreign secretary Perfecto Yasay held a brief news conference specifically on the issue on Monday. 
 
&quot;The statement of the president is a statement expressing profound disappointment and frustrations and it is not any statement that should indicate a threat to leave the United Nations,&quot; Yasay said. 
 
Yasay also sought to lay blame on the reporter who asked Duterte a question about the issue. 
 
&quot;He already ended up the press conference, as I observed, but the press was still needling him with a lot of questions so it was in this context that he made these statements,&quot; Yasay said. 
 
&quot;And if you&#39;re especially tired, disappointed and frustrated and angry, and under the circumstances, we must give a leeway on the part of the president for this kind of reaction. Like us, he is also human.&quot; 
 
Nevertheless, Yasay said the final word rested with Duterte. 
 
&quot;I will assure you the president is very responsible in making statements. He will not make statements unless he means them,&quot; he said. 
 
(AFP)

'It was a way of stating that the nation is sovereign. Okay?It was not a statement of fact that we are leaving,' said presidential spokesman

Aides to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte sought to backtrack Monday on his threat to leave the United Nations, saying he only meant to express frustration at UN criticism of his deadly war on crime. "It was a way of stating that the nation is sovereign. Okay? It was not a statement of fact that we are leaving," presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella told reporters. In a press conference that began just after 1:00 am on Sunday, Duterte launched a profanity-laced tirade against the UN after two of its rapporteurs expressed alarm at his war on crime, which has claimed more than 1,700 lives in less than two months. "Maybe we’ll just have to decide to separate from the United Nations. If you are that disrespectful, son of a whore, then I will just leave you," Duterte, who frequently uses swear words to insult his critics and others, said in the press conference. The UN's special rapporteur on summary executions, Agnes Callamard, said Duterte's promise of immunity and bounties to security forces who killed drug suspects violated international law. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in June also strongly criticised Duterte, who during the election campaign promised to kill 100,000 people and dump so many bodies in Manila Bay that the fish would grow fat from feeding on them. With Duterte's threats making global headlines, foreign secretary Perfecto Yasay held a brief news conference specifically on the issue on Monday. "The statement of the president is a statement expressing profound disappointment and frustrations and it is not any statement that should indicate a threat to leave the United Nations," Yasay said. Yasay also sought to lay blame on the reporter who asked Duterte a question about the issue. "He already ended up the press conference, as I observed, but the press was still needling him with a lot of questions so it was in this context that he made these statements," Yasay said. "And if you're especially tired, disappointed and frustrated and angry, and under the circumstances, we must give a leeway on the part of the president for this kind of reaction. Like us, he is also human." Nevertheless, Yasay said the final word rested with Duterte. "I will assure you the president is very responsible in making statements. He will not make statements unless he means them," he said. (AFP)

Philippines backtracks on threat to pull out of UN