China made another offer to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, but this time not a loan or oil exploration deal, Duterte revealed that Beijing had offered him to own a mobile phone can not be penetrated but refused.
Duterte made the remarks in an interview with Unang Hirit when asked about the possibility of China shutting down the country's power transmission system, with Beijing owning 40 percent of National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
The Philippine president said he would ask his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to find out why Beijing might cut energy, while at the same time questioning the move because of its strong ties with his country.
He wondered why China might cut the network or spy on the Philippines, adding that they do not need the network, acknowledging the possibility of spies in the country.
"They are listening to us right now, satellites, without using the network and the spies, they know, I know, because I talked to them," Duterte told the interviewee. "In fact they offered to give me a cell phone that can not be penetrated."
But he rejected the offer because he did not want people to suspect he had secrets, and in 2018 the Philippine president accused the CIA of spying on him.
Duterte did not give details on the type of phone, how it works or which network it operates on.