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Dela Rosa: Duterte didn’t want to stoop down to Carpio’s level
By JOAHNA LEI CASILAO, GMA NewsPresident Rodrigo Duterte backed out of his challenge against retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio because he did not want to stoop down to Carpio’s level, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said Saturday.
“Ganun lang ‘yun. Kung ayaw ni Pres. mag-stoop down sa level ni Carpio, then bakit mo pipilitin? Presidente ‘yan, bakit ka makipag-debate? Ano ang makukuha mo diyan,” he said in a radio interview.
(It's like that. If the President doesn't want to stoop down to Carpio's level, why would you force him? He's the President, why would he engage in a debate? What would he gain from that?)
Dela Rosa stressed that even if President had wanted to continue with the debate but was held back by his Cabinet members.
“Gusto man ni Pres. na makipag-debate kung ayaw ng gabinete niya, ‘di na siya makikipag-debate. Gusto niya matuloy debate, bibigyan niya ng rep. Kanya-kanyang hashtag lang yan,” he added.
(Even if the President wants to hold the debate, if his cabinet doesn't want to, he won't do it. He wants to continue the debate, he'll give [Carpio] reputation. To each their own hashtags.)
On Friday, Duterte backed off the debate
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This was after the President claimed that Carpio was involved in the decision to withdraw Navy ships during a 2012 standoff with China at Scarborough Shoal, later vowing to resign if his claims were proven false.
Hashtags branding the President a coward trended on social media after he tapped out of the debate.
In response, Dela Rosa said other netizens might also create a hashtag branding Carpio as a coward for refusing to debate against presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr, who claimed being designated by Duterte to debate Carpio in his stead.
The former Supreme Court magistrate, however, never refused to debate with Roque, previously saying that he was ready to debate with Duterte or anyone he may designate regarding the president’s claims that China is in possession of the West Philippine Sea.
Carpio merely rejected Roque’s proposal on topics to be covered in the debate. -MDM, GMA News