Filipinos won’t benefit from Duterte-Carpio debate on West Philippine Sea -Senators

Three senators on Friday said the debate between President Rodrigo Duterte and retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio on the West Philippine Sea will not benefit the Filipino people.

“I doubt if the country will benefit from such a debate,” Senate President Vicente Sotto III said in a text message.

Senate foreign relations committee chairman Aquilino Pimentel III likewise said that the debate is not needed, pointing out that the Filipino people are interested in more important matters such as food and livelihood.

"A formal public debate is not necessary because, one, it will not settle anything, two, it will only give to the entire world the impression that we are divided on the issue (when in reality we may not be),” Pimentel said.

“Also, the Filipino people who are the potential and supposed to be the primary audience to the debate may be interested in some other things more important to them like food on the table, a reliable and decent source of income or livelihood, day to day peace and order, etcetera,” he added.

Senator Panfilo Lacson also shared his colleagues’ views, saying the debate should not so distract the country that it allows China to sneak into Philippine territory.

“First, a public debate is always healthy in a democratic environment - as long as it is limited to the issue at hand, and does not go down to the gutter level,” he said.

“On one hand, a question comes to mind: What do we gain from the debate, assuming that it pushes through? One other dire outcome is further divisiveness that only China will benefit from,” he added.

The lawmaker said the Chinese will be busy surveying more shoals in the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to pursue its “expansionist agenda” in the West Philippine Sea while monitoring the said debate.

“That said, the hype surrounding the debate should not distract us into allowing the Chinese to sneak into our territory while we argue among ourselves. That would be the last thing we need for our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said

In his public address Wednesday night, Duterte challenged Carpio to a debate on the “retreat” of Philippine ships from the Scarborough Shoal in 2012.

Duterte argued that former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario ordered the withdrawal of Philippine ships from Scarborough Shoal.

The President also claimed that Carpio was involved in the decision to pull out the ships during the 2012 standoff with China.

He also said he will resign if his story about the Scarborough Shoal standoff is proven false.

In a statement Thursday, Carpio accepted Duterte’s challenge.

The Philippine Bar Association (PBA) has offered to host the debate between the President and the former magistrate.—AOL, GMA News