MANILA – Former Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) secretary Albert Del Rosario is in no position to tell President Rodrigo Duterte of his next move regarding the country’s territorial dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea, according to Palace spokesperson Harry Roque.
Roque said Del Rosario should not dictate Duterte since it was under the chief executive’s leadership in the DFA when the Philippines lost control of the Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal).
“Si Sec. Del Rosario, he’s a Filipino, he’s entitled to speak pero parang hindi po maganda na dinidiktahan niya ang Presidente. Hindi ko po alam kung ano’ng special qualification niya para diktahan niya ang isang Presidente,” Roque said in a virtual press conference.
“Alam ko po na anim na taon siyang secretary ng Foreign Affairs pero noong mga panahong pong iyon, doon nawala ‘yung Panatag (Shoal) at ‘yung physical possession of that island,” he added.
In his speech before the United Nations General Assembly, President Duterte said the 2016 decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration that struck down China’s expansive nine-dash line claims in the disputed waters was “beyond compromise.”
Following Duterte’s message, Del Rosario suggested that the President’s “next step” in the invocation of the Philippines’ arbitral victory against China is to put it into reality./PN
