MANILA – The Philippine Bar Association (PBA) has offered to host the debate between President Rodrigo Duterte and retired Supreme Court Senior Justice Antonio Caprio on the West Philippine Sea issue.
“The Filipino public will benefit immensely from a frank and straightforward discussion on a matter that affects the entire citizenry,” according to PBA president Atty. Rico Domingo.
The association is willing to host the debate “on such date and time as the President and Justice Carpio may agree,” he added.
PBA is the oldest voluntary private organization of lawyers in the country.
Domingo said the PBA “will provide a balanced arena fit for two lawyers of eminent stature and experience to dispassionately discuss the core issues relating to the dispute on the West Philippine Sea.”
PBA’s offer to host is “for free and at no cost to either parties conformably with its staunch advocacy to promote the rule of law,” stressed Domingo.
The offer was made after Carpio accepted on May 6 Duterte’s debate challenge issued on May 5.
“I gladly accept the challenge anytime at the President’s convenience,” said Carpio in a statement.
He added that Duterte should snow resign to keep his word of honor, in reference to a statement the President made.
According to Duterte, he “would resign immediately” if he was caught lying about Carpio’s supposed involvement in the government’s decision to withdraw Philippine Navy ships from the West Philippine Sea way back in 2012 during a standoff with China at the Scarborough Shoal.
Carpio has criticized Duterte for not asserting the Philippines sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea where China has built militarized structures and has deployed Chinese militia boats.
But Duterte is instead blaming the previous Aquino administration and Carpio for the Chinese’s presence in the area.
“I was serving in the Supreme Court at that time and all I knew about the withdrawal of the Philippine Navy ships was what I read in the newspapers. I call as my witness former President Benigno Aquino III and the Defense, Foreign Affairs Secretary, and the Chiefs of the Philippine Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard at the time,” Carpio said./PN
