ni Ronalyn Seminiano Reonico | May 4, 2021
Muling binatikos ni retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte dahil sa mga naging pahayag nito kaugnay sa sigalot sa West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Kinontra ni Carpio ang naging pahayag ni P-Duterte na wala siyang ipinangakong pagbawi sa West Philippine Sea (WPS) sa China nang kumandidato siya sa pagka-pangulo noong 2016.
Ayon kay Carpio, noong 2016 presidential debate, idineklara ni P-Duterte na magdye-jet ski siya sa Scarborough Shoal kung saan itatayo niya ang bandila ng Pilipinas.
Sa public address ni P-Duterte noong Lunes nang gabi, aniya, “I never, 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. I never mentioned about China and the Philippines in my campaign because that was a very serious matter.”
Samantala, sa televised debate noong 2016, saad ni P-Duterte, “Pupunta ako sa China. ‘Pag ayaw nila, then I will ask the Navy to bring me to the nearest boundary diyan sa Spratlys, Scarborough. Bababa ako, sasakay ako ng jet ski, dala-dala ko 'yung flag ng Filipino at pupunta ako roon sa airport nila, tapos itanim ko. Then I would say, ‘This is ours and do what you want with me. Bahala na kayo.’”
Saad pa ni Carpio, "President Duterte cannot now say that he never discussed or mentioned the West Philippine Sea issue when he was campaigning for President.
"Otherwise, he would be admitting that he was fooling the Filipino people big time."
"There is a term for that— grand estafa or grand larceny. Making a false promise to get 16 million votes.”