Duterte, Cabinet members’ mixed messages on West Philippine Sea issue 'quite unfortunate' —Drilon

It is “quite unfortunate” for the Philippines that its Cabinet officials and President Rodrigo Duterte are sending different messages on the West Philippine Sea issue, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said Wednesday.

“Quite unfortunate, because you have two members of the Cabinet, Sec. [Teodoro Locsin Jr.] and Sec. (Delfin) Lorenzana, taking a strong position on this issue. On the other end of the scale, President Duterte who asserts that we must continue our cordial relations with China. This is quite unfortunate that we are talking of different voices,” Drilon said in an ANC interview.

Drilon said Locsin’s recent “emotional outburst" was out of frustration on the Philippines’ lack of options in dealing with the WPS issue.

“He is very patriotic. Maybe his emotional outburst is because of the frustration that he cannot do much except file diplomatic protests on this incursion of China. It is because of this frustration,” he said.

“I bet, the statements of Sec. Locsin and Sec. Lorenzana would reflect the sentiment of the majority of our people. We are all frustrated by what China is doing,” he added.

In the same interview, Drilon said the Philippine government should continue with “megaphone diplomacy” as this was only the recourse left to keep the issue alive in the world forum.

Drilon and 10 other senators have filed a resolution "strongly condemning" the illegal activities of China in the country’s exclusive economic zone (EZZ) in the WPS.

The adoption of this resolution will deliver the sentiment of the Senate, which is the “partner” of President Rodrigo Duterte in terms of foreign policy, Drilon said.—AOL, GMA News