Palace dares ‘pro-US’ critics: Attack China

Malacañang has dared critics of President Duterte’s South China Sea policy to pick a fight with China as it expressed doubts that Washington would help Manila in its maritime dispute with Beijing.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said he wanted to see the President’s critics ride a ship, sail to China and end up being vanquished.

“Alam mo ang gusto ko? Kunin silang lahat, isama sila sa isang barko. Lusubin nila, sige! Maubos na kayong lahat! Napakasaya niyan, mawala na kayong lahat nang matahimik na ang bayan (What do I want? Gather all of them in one ship. Go ahead, attack China! You will be obliterated! That would be nice. I hope all of you will be gone so the nation will become quiet),” Roque said in an interview with Light TV aired last Thursday.

“Lusob kayo lahat, lahat ng gustong lumaban! Pero huwag naman iyong mga ordinaryong Pilipino kasi gutom na nga, humahanap na nga ng paraan para makakain, minamasama pa. Pero iyong talagang ginagawang pulitika, sige, kayo na lumusob

ng tuluyang na kayong mawala (All of you, attack! But do not involve the ordinary Filipino because they are already hungry. We are finding ways to feed them yet you still find fault in what we do. To those who are politicking, go ahead, attack so you will be gone),” he added.

Roque said critics questioning Duterte’s move to seek better ties with China should realize that the US would not side with the Philippines in the sea row.

“To the pro-Americans, wake up! They have repeatedly abandoned us,” the spokesman said. “How many times have they said will not get involved in territorial disputes. Now, you want us to pick a fight?”

Roque also believes that the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) signed by the Philippines and the US will not convince Washington to side with Manila.

The Philippines and US signed the MDT in 1951 “to declare publicly and formally their sense of unity and their common determination to defend themselves against external armed attack.”

“That’s nothing. Do you believe they will fight over rocks?” he said.

“They (US) owe China a huge debt. China is the number one exporter of goods in America and the number one destination of goods made in the USA is also China,” Roque added.

The Philippines and China are embroiled in a maritime dispute over parts of the SCS, a busy sea lane where $5 trillion worth of goods pass through every year. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are also claiming parts of the resourcerich area.

China’s claim, which covers about 90 percent of the area, was invalidated by a The Hague-based tribunal in 2016 but Beijing refused to recognize the ruling, calling it “illegal since day one.”

Duterte has expressed willingness to set aside the arbitral ruling to improve the Philippines’ relationship with China. The political opposition, however, claimed the President is too soft on China because of the development and military assistance promised by the Chinese government.

Officials have repeatedly claimed that Duterte would not give up even an inch of Philippine territory to other countries.