VP spokesperson urges gov't to stop finger-pointing, assert West Philippine Sea claims

President Rodrigo Duterte should stop blaming the previous administration and instead assert the country's claims in the West Philippine Sea, Vice President Leni Robredo's spokesman Barry Gutierrez, said on Sunday.

On Robredo's radio program BiSerbisyong Leni, Gutierrez said the government must defend the Philippines' claims in the South China Sea using the 2016 Hague tribunal ruling which favored Manila's claims and invalidated Beijing's nine-dash line argument.

He also stressed that the country's success in the arbitral tribunal was won at the start of the Duterte Administration.

"Kasi ginagamit iyong desisyon na iyon ng ibang bansa — EU ginagamit, US in-assert iyon (Hague ruling). Bakit tayo mismo, na tayo ang nagsampa ng kaso, parang medyo malamya iyong ating sitwasyon diyan? At iyon nga, sa dulo, ang kalaban nasa labas," argued Gutierrez.

(The European Union, the US asserted that ruling. How is it that the Philippines, which filed the complaint, downplays the ruling?)

"Iyon dapat ang ating tinututukan, hindi iyong nagtuturuan tayo dito. Ang tanong: Ito iyong problema, anong magagawa natin? At hindi puwedeng sagot iyong 'Wala tayong magagawa.' Kapag may problema, kayo iyong nandiyan eh para tumugon sa problema eh," he added.

(We should look into this and not point fingers. We ask: What should we do about this? We can't simply say, "We can't do anything." If the country has a problem, you should address it because you are currently the leader.)

President Duterte had argued that the Philippines did not want a war with China because the Asian power was a friend to whom the country owed a huge debt of gratitude.

He also claimed former Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario were behind the country's failure to assert its sovereignty on the West Philippine Sea.

Chinese militia vessels have swarmed the West Philippine Sea since March. More than 200 Chinese ships were seen in Julian Felipe Reef or Whitsun Reef. — DVM, GMA News