PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday declared that the Filipino fishing boat in the Recto Bank incident was “sideswiped” and not “rammed” by a Chinese vessel as what had been reported.

“You do not react violently. As a matter of fact halos kami (the Cabinet) ngayon are agreed na side-swiped. Hindi talaga yung binunggo. Eh kung binunggo sa ilalim na yun,” Duterte said in a speech at the 122nd anniversary of the Presidential Security Group in Malacañang.

“Ngayon sabihing mong sinadya, let us have an investigation. Tinatago ko yung aking baraha. Meron ng Customs, meron ang Navy, tinatago ko for the fine report kasi gusto ko tignan yung ano sa China. But that is no reason to go to war,” he added.

Twenty-two Filipino fishermen were left at sea by a Chinese crew after sinking their boat on June 9. They were later rescued by a Vietnamese vessel.

Duterte has been criticized for his warmer ties with China and his softer assertion of this ruling. While he questions the widespread claims of China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), the President has regarded the sinking of the Philippine boat as a “little maritime accident.”

The President has since apologized to the fishermen, but said the incident did not warrant sending troops to the area.

Manila and Beijing have agreed to conduct a joint investigation.

“Gusto nila i-prohibit ko. Why will I go there and prohibit them? Now, the only way to stop them is talagang gamitan ko ng ngipin iyan,” the President said.

“Sinabihan ang China, sinabi na natin, ang usapan natin, huwag muna ngayong pagusapan, magkaibigan muna tayo, bigyan ko kayo ng armas. Ano gusto ninyo? May mga projects ngayon,” he added.

The President then called Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio “stupid” after he asserted that giving Chinese nationals access to the Philippine waters was unconstitutional.