Palace hits Robredo for ‘misplaced’ remark vs. Duterte on sea dispute

Malacanang on Friday countered Vice President Leni Robredo's statement that the Duterte administration was setting aside the country's victory in the arbitral ruling on the West Philippine Sea to push ahead with an exploration deal with China. 

In a statement, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said what President Rodrigo Duterte meant when he said he will first set aside the ruling was he would focus instead on exploring something that would benefit the people as the administration continues to engage China in negotiations.

"Notwithstanding this impasse with China on our territorial conflict, wisdom, prudence and pragmatism dictate that we forge in strengthening our foreign relations on uncontested matters that will invariably provide mutual benefit to our countries. Of particular note is the joint exploration of our natural resources in the West Philippine Sea," Panelo said.

"As matter of sound foreign policy, our difference with China, or with any other country for the matter, cannot be the sum total of our relationship with it or with any other," he added.

Panelo said Robredo's remark was another way to "nitpick" on the President.

"Like the usual detractors and critics of the President, VP Robredo may have been carried away by their nitpicking and habitual engagement in useless and unproductive semantics," he said.

"What is 'profoundly disappointing and extremely irresponsible,' to borrow her words, is her evolving penchant of finding fault in every word the President says, as well as issuing misplaced and flamboyant remarks against it," he added.

Panelo said Robredo should be more "circumspect in issuing statements on the matter and rely more on her instinct as a lawyer and mother protective of those she is constitutionally tasked to shepherd."

He said Robredo should understand the country's complex relations with China on the issue of territory.

"The problem with my friend Vice President Leni Robredo is the inability of her political advisers to comprehend the complexities of our current situation with China. She may want to change them with some erudite intellectuals knowledgeable in geopolitics and in the art of diplomacy." he said.  

Robredo had questioned Duterte's alleged plan to set aside the arbitral ruling to give way to the joint oil and gas exploration with China in the disputed South China Sea.

Duterte told reporters on Tuesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping had offered the Philippines majority stake in the joint exploration if Manila would set aside the arbitral award, which invalidated China’s sweeping claim to nearly the entire South China Sea, including areas under Manila’s exclusive economic zone.

The chief executive added the issue on the exclusive economic zone was part of the ruling “which we will ignore to come up with an economic activity.”

“The recent declaration by the President that he will ‘ignore’ the arbitral ruling upholding the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea to pave the way for a joint oil and gas exploration agreement with China is profoundly disappointing and extremely irresponsible,” Robredo had said.

Robredo called for “great care in ensuring that we are not trading away the long-term interests of our nation and our children for short-term profit.”

Malacañang on Thursday said the Philippines would not shelve the arbitral ruling to pave the way for the planned joint oil and gas exploration with China in the West Philippine Sea.

Panelo said the arbitral award is subject to future talks even as the Philippines and China will forge ahead with other points of cooperation like the joint exploration. —LDF/KG, GMA News