‘DAMI NYONG ORAS, AH’

Vice President's Office rebuffs Roque's West Philippine Sea debate dare

The Vice President's Office on Monday brushed aside Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque’s challenge for Vice President Leni Robredo to debate him on the West Philippine Sea dispute.

“Anlakas ng loob maghamon, eh yung unang debateng hiningi inatrasan naman,” said the Vice President's spokesperson Ibarra Gutierrez.

(They have quite the nerve challenging the Vice President to a debate when they backed out of that first debate they had sought.)

“Mas mabuti pa, tularan na lang ninyo si Vice President Leni: magtrabaho na lang kayo. Dami nyong oras, ah,” Gutierrez added.

(They should instead take a cue from Vice President Leni; get to work. They seem to have a lot of free time on their hands.)

Roque had challenged the Vice President to a debate due to her criticism of President Rodrigo Duterte's West Philippine Sea policy.

Duterte had recently dismissed the Permanent Court of Arbitration's 2016 ruling that rejected China's claim over the entire South China Sea as nothing more than a piece of paper that belonged in a waste bin.

The President had also said that China was "in possession" of the West Philippine Sea.

Duterte had also challenged retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio to a debate on the West Philippine Sea dispute, but later delegated the debating duty to Roque. — DVM, GMA News