PRESIDENT Duterte sees Chinese President Xi Jinping as his “personal protector” and he “honestly believes” that Beijing is in possession of the West Philippine Sea.
This was the assessment of retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio when he was asked in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel yesterday about what could be behind Duterte’s statements on the WPS, such as calling the country’s historic win in 2016 in its arbitral case against China as a mere scrap of paper, similar to Beijing’s position on the arbitration case which invalidated China’s massive claim in the disputed water under its so-called nine-dash line.
Duterte has also refused to condemn repeated incursions of Chinese vessels in Philippine territory.
“I think he just, he honestly believes that China is in possession of the West Philippine Sea, that that’s the only thing I can conclude, because he has been saying that repeatedly,” Carpio said of Duterte’s stance on the issue.
Duterte’s stance contrasted sharply with that of his foreign and defense chiefs, Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Delfin Lorenzana, who have issued strong statements telling China to pull out its vessels in the WPS, particularly near the Julian Felipe reef, about 175 nautical miles from mainland Palawan, where more than 200 Chinese vessels were spotted starting last March.
As to Duterte’s relationship with Xi, Carpio said he believes the latter will protect him against any military-led mutiny or coup.
“The President has always said that if there is a mutiny or coup against me, President Xi will protect me. I think that is what’s behind his mind that President Xi is his personal protector against his own military if there is a coup d’état, so he will side, whenever possible, with China against the Philippine interest and we see that every day,” Carpio said.
It can be recalled that in 2018, Duterte said he was assured by Xi in one of their meetings that China will not allow him to be taken out of office.
In the same interview, Carpio, who had engaged Duterte in a word war in recent days, said his actions and statements on the WPS issue can be considered a “betrayal of national interest and public trust” and as such an impeachable offense under the 1987 Constitution.
“It’s a betrayal of public trust and the country’s national interest,” Carpio said.
But he admitted that he does not see any impeachment proceeding against Duterte prospering since the administration party controls both houses of Congress.
“He has the majority, so it will never prosper,” he added.
An impeachment complaint lodged in 2017 by then Magdalo party-list.Rep. Gary Alejano over the same issue failed to get the get the nod of his peers in the House of Representatives.
If impeachment is out of the way, Carpio said Filipinos must make known their voice on the issue and demand that Duterte retract or withdraw his statements favoring China in the maritime territorial dispute, particularly his statement that the 2016 arbitral ruling is a mere scrap of paper.
“The Filipino people must demand that President Duterte retract all the statements. All of us must come up with manifestos, position papers – all organizations, all schools must come up with resolutions,” Carpio said.
He said that if Duterte sees strong opposition from the Filipinos on his stance, then there is always the possibility that he might buckle down and withdraw his statements.
“The head of state, the President or even the foreign minister can bind the country with his pronouncements, and these pronouncements are adverse, admission against interests, this will bind the country of accepted by the other party. And that’s why it is very dangerous,” Carpio explained.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., in separate briefings yesterday, dared Carpio or those who claimed that Duterte committed an impeachable offense to file a complaint.
Carpio said he was saddened by Duterte’s decision to withdraw from a debate between the two of them on the WPS issue.
Duterte issued the debate challenge on May 6 and Carpio accepted on the same day. The following day, Roque announced that Duterte heeded the advice of his Cabinet not to take part in such a debate. Instead, Roque said, he will represent Duterte in the debate. — With Jocelyn Montemayor and Victor Reyes
