Lorenzana may have been propaganda tool — Del Rosario

The country’s defense chief may have allowed himself to be used as a “propagandist” of China with his praises for the Duterte administration’s handling of the territorial row with the Asian power and his rebuke of the previous Aquino administration’s “mismanagement” of the issue, according to former foreign affairs chief Albert del Rosario.

In a statement, Del Rosario said he felt sad about defense chief Delfin Lorenzana’s defending the current government position on China and assailing the previous administration for allegedly mishandling the sea dispute.

“We had read with a heavy heart the interview of Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in which he declared ‘President Duterte was handling the Philippine maritime row in the South China Sea very well’ while, insisting in comparison, Aquino mismanaged the Philippine sea dispute with China and that everything was chaotic,” Del Rosario said. Lorenzana issued his defense of the current approach to the West Philippine issue last Monday.

“We believe that Sec. Lorenzana is a very good man with the highest credibility in the Cabinet. As I said earlier, we feel deeply sad because it appears that he is being used as a propagandist precisely since he has the reputation of being straight as an arrow,” Del Rosario said.

He and Lorenzana are close friends, having worked together for many years in Washington.

“I have the warmest esteem for him and trust that he will consider what I have written as factual and helpful,” Del Rosario said.