PRESIDENT Duterte barred members of the Executive department from commenting about the country’s dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea, but his spokesman Harry Roque clarified on Tuesday that he and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) are exempted from the gag order.
Duterte issued the order during his public address Monday night in response to criticism he receives in maintaining friendly diplomatic relations with China despite the territorial dispute.
“So, this is my order now to the Cabinet and to all — all and sundry, talking for the government to refrain discussing the West Philippine Sea with the — with anybody. If we have to talk, we talk and among ourselves, and there is one spokesman — Secretary Harry will do it,” Duterte said.
On Tuesday, Roque explained to reporters the restriction will even apply to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), which regularly releases updates on the presence of new Chinese vessels within the country’s territories.
However, Roque clarified both he and the DFA — whose secretary Teodoro L. Locsin jr. had called him out last week over his remark that the Julian Felipe Reef is not part of the Philippines — are exempted from said ban on commenting on the WPS.
To recall, the report of the NTF-WPS on over 200 Chinese sea vessels were spotted in the Julian Felipe Reef had led some people to criticize why the government is tolerating such encroachment.
After a flurry of diplomatic protests filed by DFA and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s remark that the Chinese boats should leave, the maritime militia boats left the area in batches. However, last week the NTF-WPS said 287 boats were again spotted in some other WPS areas.
Roque said future similar information will no longer be publicly released by the NTF-WPS since it now covered by executive privilege and will be discreetly acted upon by DFA by filing a diplomatic protest.
Aside from such protest, Duterte said ships from the Philippine Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will continue to patrol the country’s territorial waters, especially in the WPS.
“Our vessels will continue to patrol relevant areas to firmly assert what is ours,” Duterte said in a speech read by Roque.
Zambales lawyers
Meanwhile, lawyers from Zambales have joined the call for President Duterte to take back his public statements that the People’s Republic of China is in possession of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and that the arbitral award won by the Philippines was a mere scrap of paper fit for the wastebasket.
In a statement of concern posted on social media, members of the Zambales chapter of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP-Zambales) pointed out that the President has a duty to defend the Constitution and protect the country’s territory and the nation’s marine resources.
Duterte has received criticism lately after he publicly stated that China now possesses WPS and that the favorable ruling for the Philippines from the special arbitral tribunal on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in July 2016 amounted to nothing.
“When a part of our country’s territory is taken against our will by the People’s Republic of China and our countrymen, particularly the fishermen, are threatened with force from exclusively enjoying our country’s marine resources, the President is solemnly bound to uphold, defend and protect his countrymen and the integrity of our national territory,” the Zambales lawyers said.
Calling the President’s recent statements “defeatist,” IBP-Zambales urged Duterte to retract his statements and to “categorically, demonstrably and publicly uphold the mandate of our Philippine Constitution.”
They added that the government is duty-bound to protect the nation’s marine wealth in its archipelagic waters, territorial sea, and exclusive economic zone, and reserve their use and enjoyment exclusively to Filipino citizens.
The statement from IBP-Zambales came on the heels of similar calls for Duterte’s retraction. These include one from 125 alumni of San Beda University, the President’s alma mater, who issued a “fraternal statement of concern” last Sunday.
Read full article on BusinessMirror
