Sotto: Claim that admin ordered stop to West PHL Sea patrols ‘hearsay’ unless validated

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Sunday said that information cited by Magdalo party-list Representative Gary Alejano that the Duterte administration ordered the military to stop patrolling the West Philippine Sea must be validated first.

"Saan niya narinig 'yun? Nagpupunta ba siya roon? Hindi baka meron siyang ano... malaman natin saan galing 'yun kasi madami din akong nakikitang balita sa social media na iba eh, na dapat nga di basta-basta paniwalaan eh," Sotto said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

"Kailangan malaman natin saan galing ang impormasyon para ma-verify. Paano natin mava-validate eh hearsay sa kanya. Kailangan ma-validate ng gobyerno 'yun," he added.

Citing information from a source whom he did not identify, Alejano said the government has directed the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to stop patrols in the contested area since the latter part of 2017.

Both Malacañang and the Defense department denied that there was such an order.

"Tingnan natin muna kung totoo 'yun. Ang alam ko ang sagot ng Malacañang hindi eh. Sino ang papaniwalaan natin, Malacañang o congressman, 'di ba?" Sotto said. — Anna Felicia Bajo/BM, GMA News