Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 19) — Amid criticisms of President Rodrigo Duterte’s apparent silence on the presence of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea, his spokesman notes the utterances of his Cabinet officials on the issue are the chief executive’s, too.
“Kapag hindi po dini-disown ng Presidente ang mga sinasabi ng kanyang mga alter-egos, parang siya na po ang nagsasalita. Hindi na siya kailangang magsalita,” said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque during a virtual briefing when asked on the chief executive’s lack of comment on the matter.
[Translation: When the President is not disowning what his alter-egos say, it’s as if he’s the one also talking. He need not talk anymore.]
Roque noted that the utterances of Duterte’s alter-egos — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Defense Affairs Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in this case — are the chief executive’s too unless he renounces these, and that he hasn’t done so.
Locsin and Lorenzana had been speaking out the past weeks against the presence of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea, with the former announcing the filing of multiple diplomatic protests against China.
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/4/14/Locsin-DFA-diplomatic-protest-240-Chinese-vessels-West-Philippine-Sea.html
Lorenzana, meanwhile, had slammed the East Asian giant for refusing to exit the area. The Defense chief said earlier this month that he was “no fool” to buy Beijing’s excuse of its vessels seeking refuge in the area due to bad weather.
https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/4/3/chinese-vessels-julian-felipe-reef-lorenzana.html
Still, Duterte’s spokesman took the opportunity to point out Duterte’s previous remarks during the United Nations General Assembly last September.
“He said that we will not give away any of our territory, we believe that the West Philippine Sea should be resolved under UNCLOS, and we stand by the arbitral decision,” said Roque.
RELATED: Duterte admin ‘consistent’ in asserting PH sovereignty over WPS – Malacañang
China has consistently refused to honor the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling which recognizes the Philippines’ sovereign rights to areas within its exclusive economic zone, instead continuing to assert its claims over nearly the entire South China Sea.
Duterte has been criticized for his amicable attitude towards Beijing despite its continuous rejection of the landmark decision.
RELATED: Not foolish, but deliberate: Duterte showing no signs of turning against China — lawmaker
