Leni: Rody WPS remarks’ effects go beyond ‘our terms’

Vice President Leni Robredo yesterday expressed serious concern over President Duterte’s seemingly pro-China remarks on the West Philippine Sea (WPS), saying these would have implications on the country even beyond their terms.

“The President has made two statements which I have serious concerns about. (He said) the decision of the arbitral tribunal is a mere scrap of paper. This is a serious matter because we are talking about our freedom and sovereignty here. The decision should not be taken lightly,” Robredo said in her weekly program over dzXL.

Robredo was referring to the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling on July 12, 2016, which invalidated Beijing’s expansive claims over the entire South China Sea and upheld the Philippines’ rights over its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. “Number two, (when he

said) that China has possession of the West Philippine Sea, that is not true,” the Vice President stressed.

Robredo said Duterte’s recent remarks seemed to show him “leaning toward China.”

Duterte last week said the arbitral decision is just a piece of paper that can be thrown in the wastebasket.

The Vice President, meanwhile, welcomed a debate on the WPS to educate more Filipinos about the issue.

Duterte has challenged retired Supreme Court justice Antonio Carpio to a debate, but he later backed out.

“Actually, I got excited when the Philippine Bar Association said they will sponsor the debate. Because the truth is many of our countrymen are not that aware of the issue on the West Philippine Sea,” Robredo said.

The Vice President said the debate could have been “very educational.”

“It’s just unfortunate that the President backed out,” she said.

“Had the debate been pushed through, we could have proven that his (Duterte’s) statements were untrue, and incorrect. For me, this (issue) is beyond us, because we will not be in power forever, our terms will end next year. But even long after we’re gone this issue will remain important for the country. For me, we should take this seriously,” Robredo said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs, in a statement on Friday, said Duterte’s statement before the United Nations General Assembly last year remains the “supreme expression of foreign policy” on the WPS issue.

In his speech before the assembly in September last year, Duterte claimed the arbitral decision is “now part of international law” and “beyond compromise.”

China, however, has rejected the ruling, calling it “illegal since day one.”

The President’s controversial, rambling and “stream of consciousness” public statements on the WPS are not policy, and should not alarm Filipinos increasingly worried over China’s repeated intrusions and poaching in the WPS, Sen. Koko Pimentel said yesterday, referring to Duterte’s “wastebasket” pronouncement.