By CONSUELO MARQUEZ, GMA News
Published May 4, 2021 6:21pm
Updated May 4, 2021 7:00pm The Chinese Ministry on Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said a certain individual in the Philippine government should mind his manners and act in a way that suited his status. Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin made the remark a day after Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. told China to get the f k out of the Philippine waters. Facts have proven time and time again that megaphone diplomacy can only undermine mutual trust rather than change reality, Wenbin said in response to Locsin s insulting remarks on his personal social media account.
President Duterte delivers a public address on May 3, 2021 (Malacañang)
In a televised address Monday, the President demanded Del Rosario to show proof that he was a Filipino national in his latest profanity-laced tirade against the former diplomat.
Del Rosario, alongside former Supreme Chief Justice Antonio Carpio, drew the ire of the President for criticizing his alleged weak stance in asserting the country’s ownership of the West Philippine Sea. Duterte asked why the country lost the territory if the two former officials were really bright.
In his remarks aired on state television, Duterte hit back at Del Rosario for acting like a diplomat and raised questions about his citizenship.
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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 4) - President Rodrigo Duterte emphasized on Monday he never promised to retake the West Philippine Sea from China when he sought the country’s top post in 2016.
“I, never in my campaign as president, promised the people that I would retake the West Philippine Sea. I did not promise that I would pressure China,” Duterte said during his weekly national address. “I never mentioned about China and the Philippines in my campaign because that was a very serious matter.”
The President’s statement was contrary to his controversial remark during the 2016 elections, where he said he would ride a jet ski to plant a Philippine flag on man-made islands occupied by China.
President Duterte delivers a public address on May 3, 2021 (Malacañang)
The President thumbed down on any disrespectful behavior as he recognized that China remains a “benefactor” of the country. Duterte, who previously thanked China for its donated vaccines, asserted that the nation actually owed a lot to the Asian neighbor.
“China remains to be our benefactor and just because, if I may just add something to the narrative, just because we have a conflict with China doesn’t mean to say we have to be rude and disrespectful,” Duterte said during a televised address Monday, May 3.
“As a matter of fact, we have many things to thank China for the help in the past, and itong mga tulong ngayon,” he added.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque (ALBERT ALCAIN/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO/MANILA BULLETIN)
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque made the statement as the Philippines announced that it has protested the hostile acts exhibited by the Chinese Coast Guard against Philippine Coast Guard vessels in Bajo de Masinloc on April 24-25, 2021.
In his press briefing on Monday, Roque said it was not true that Duterte’s call to China fell on deaf ears because 201 of the 220 vessels in the disputed waters already left the area.
“Let me clarify that the President was ignored–that’s not true,” he said.
“Mga bente na lang po ang natitira diyan. I think 201 fishing vessels po ang umalis (I think there’s only around 20 vessels left there. I think 201 fishing vessels have left) and all because of the message of the President and the warm relations we enjoy with China,” he added.