Malacañang dared Antonio Carpio to file a legal case against President Duterte over the President’s “scrap of paper” remark.
On Monday, Malacañang dared Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio to file a legal case against President Rodrigo Duterte over the President’s “scrap of paper” remark.
In his regular press briefing on Monday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque dared Carpio to file a legal case against the President if he believed that President Duterte’s remarks regarding the West Philippine Sea violated the Constitution.
Carpio said during an interview earlier in the day that the President’s “dangerous” statement undermining the Philippines’ victory in the case it filed against China was tantamount to betrayal of public trust, which was an impeachable offense.
He also believed that the President’s statement that the arbitral ruling was a scrap of paper meant to be thrown in the wastebasket could jeopardize the country’s interests.
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However, Roque said at his regular press briefing that Carpio’s accusation was “bereft of merit”. According to Roque, Carpio as a citizen can go to court and file a complaint if he thought President Duterte violated the Constitution.
“Puwede kayo magdemanda sa hukuman kung saan kayo naging kabilang kung talagang sa tingin ninyo eh may nilabag na probisyon ng Saligang Batas ang Presidente, in your standing as a citizen,” Roque said.
Even if Filipino fisherfolk had consistently complained of the Chinese vessels driving them out or launching aggression to prevent them from fishing within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), Roque had insisted that the Philippines never lost territory to China during the Duterte administration.
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