Duterte, not subordinates, should speak up on West Philippine Sea issue — Carpio

It should be President Rodrigo Duterte, not his Cabinet members, who needs to speak up on the ongoing tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) as China only listens to a country’s top leader, retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said Thursday.

In a television interview, Carpio said despite the strong statements issued by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Malacañang is still downplaying the issue on the presence of Chinese vessels in the WPS.

“This is a very important national issue. Our sovereign rights is involved. The President must speak, he must stand up himself because if his subordinates do the talking, China will not listen because China will only listen to the leader of the nation and if the President is silent, then China will continue,” Carpio pointed out.

Duterte speaking up on the WPS issue will also not guarantee that the Chinese vessels will leave the area, but the Asian powerhouse will “feel the heat because they will lose a friend,” Carpio added.

The retired magistrate also said the statements from Locsin and Lorenzana may not be working in the current situation as Duterte has “a different mind” and China “knows the real score” with the Philippine president.

Sought for comment, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said there is no need to disclose the measures that the President is taking to deal with China's incursions.

“Kung anuman ang ginagawa ng Presidente, hayaan na nating gawin niya iyon sa isang pribadong pamamaraan dahil hindi naman po dapat inaanunsiyo sa publiko kung ano iyong mga diplomatic initiatives at hakbang na ginagawa ng Pangulo,” Roque said at a press briefing.

(Whatever the President is doing, let’s leave him do it in a private manner because we don’t need to disclose the diplomatic initiatives and efforts being done by the President.)

‘Hyping up’ the issue

On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian appealed to some Philippine officials to stop “hyping up” and giving negative reactions to the situation in the WPS despite the continued tension in the area.

The Chinese official was responding on the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department’s summoning the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines to express the country’s dismay on the continued incursion of Chinese vessels at Julian Felipe Reef or Whitsun Reef.

Duterte previously stated that the intrusion of Chinese vessels in waters off  Julian Felipe Reef is not an obstacle to the friendship between the Philippines and China.

He added that both countries will resolve the issue through “diplomatic channels and through peaceful means. Whatever differences we have with China will not define our bilateral relations.”

Malacañang likewise issued a statement on Wednesday, saying the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) has “always been consistent” in invoking Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights over its territorial waters.

Earlier on Wednesday, Locsin ordered the filing of two new diplomatic protests against China over the 200 Chinese militia vessels lingering at the WPS.

Aside from the 240 Chinese militia vessels, six Chinese navy vessels, including three warships, have been spotted in the WPS by Philippine sovereignty patrols. There were also two People's Liberation Army Navy vessels seen in Bajo de Masinloc.

The NTF-WPS said there were also illegal Chinese poachers discovered in parts of Pag-asa Island.

These vessels are different from the 44 Chinese vessels previously sighted near Julian Felipe Reef which Lorenzana had asked to leave. — with Llanesca T. Panti/RSJ, GMA News