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Hontiveros: Philippines will not be taken seriously with leader who can’t honor his word
By HANA BORDEY, GMA NewsOpposition Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday scored President Rodrigo Duterte, saying the Philippines will not be taken seriously if it has a leader who cannot honor his word.
The lawmaker issued the statement after Duterte said his 2016 remark about riding a jetski to the West Philippine Sea and telling the Chinese that it belonged to the Philippines was just a campaign joke.
“Matagal nang walang natatawa sa mga joke ni President Duterte. Kung joke lang pala 'yung mga plataporma niya noong nanliligaw siya sa mga botante, ibig sabihin, joke din ba ang turing niya sa pagiging presidente?” Hontiveros asked.
(The public are no longer laughing at President Duterte’s jokes. If the platform he presented during the campaign was just a joke, does that means he sees the presidency as a joke?)
“Nasaan 'yang sinasabi niyang “bravado” pagdating sa special friend niyang China (Where is this “bravado” when it comes to his special friend China)? No country, not even his best friend, will take us seriously when we have a leader who cannot honor his word,” she added.
The opposition senator said the 16 million Filipinos who voted for Duterte hoped that he will fight for the Philippines on the issue of the WPS.
She further pointed out that the issue is not a laughing matter as the Armed Forces, Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, at Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources are conducting patrols over the area.
“Seryosong naghahanapbuhay ang ating mga mangingisda,” she added
“Huwag niyang gawing punchline ang mismong buhay at hanapbuhay ng mga Pilipino.”
(Our fishermen are serious in their livelihood. Let us not treat their lives and their livelihood as a punchline.)
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Moreover, Senator Francis Pangilinan said the Filipinos must have a united stand on the issue of the WPS as China will gain more on the country’s divisiveness.
“Importante ang issue ng West Philippine Sea pero dapat hindi tayo nakikipag-debate sa isa’t isa. Dapat iisa lang ang layunin natin, ito ‘yung paalisin 'yung China doon sa ating exclusive economic zone,” he said in an online interview with reporters.
(The issue of the WPS is important but we should not debate with each other on the matter. We should have one objective on that issue and that is to drive China out of our exclusive economic zone.)
“Ang China lang ang panalo rito sa ganitong klaseng mga kilos ng Malacanang (China is winning in this divisive moves of Malacañang),” he added.
He further emphasized that the government must maintain its attention to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Ang problema natin ay COVID e, at saka 'yung bagsak na ekonomiya dapat ‘yun ang ating pinagtutuunan ng pansin, dapat 'yun ang ating binibigyan ng oras. Dapat ‘yun ang ating bukambibig at hindi kung ano-ano pang parang nalilihis doon sa problema ng gutom na nararamdaman ng ating mga kababayan,” he said.
(Our main problem is COVID-19 and the economy. That should be our focus right now. That is what we should be talking about and not other issues that are meant to distract us from the real problem of hunger.)
In a statement, Senator Leila de Lima also slammed Duterte anew for “fooling the Filipino people” in 2016.
"Duterte's campaign in the 2016 elections was waged on pure gimmickry with no solid program of government on which to anchor his outlandish promises that's why all we can hear now are his excuses why he cannot execute,” Duterte’s staunch critic said.—AOL, GMA News