Vice President Robredo said that President Duterte shouldn’t use the coronavirus pandemic as an “excuse” on the West Philippine Sea issue.
Vice President Leni Robredo said that President Rodrigo Duterte shouldn’t use the coronavirus pandemic as an “excuse” on the West Philippine Sea issue.
On Sunday, Vice President Robredo said that President Duterte shouldn’t use the COVID-19 pandemic as an “excuse” not to fight for the Philippines’ sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Speaking on her weekly radio show, she stressed that the President must take a serious stand on the Philippines’ dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea.
The Vice President also reiterated that the West Philippine Sea issue should be taken seriously as the Philippines’ ownership and sovereignty of the West Philippine Sea, a part of the “South China Sea” that China was claiming, were “at stake”.
“Tama naman si pangulo na nasa gitna tayo ng pandemic pero hindi naman gustong sabihin na nasa gitna tayo ng pandemic excuse iyon para hindi natin ayusin iyong ang ating stand. Kasi kasarinlan natin iyon, pag-aari natin ang nakataya. Sana hindi daanin sa mga salitang either hindi nagseseryoso, nagbibiro, kung ano pa man na excuse iyong usapin sa West Philippine Sea,” Vice President Robredo said.
READ ALSO: VP Robredo Open To Talk To President Duterte About WPS Issue — VP Spox
Vice President Robredo again pressed the need to continuously assert the country’s arbitral tribunal victory against China’s massive claims in the West Philippine Sea in July 2016 — a month after President Duterte took office.
To recall, President Duterte said in his last Thursday’s televised address to the nation that the coronavirus pandemic was more urgent than the West Philippine Sea issue.
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) reported what it said were “incursions” within and outside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of more than 200 maritime militia vessels from China last week.
Vice President Robredo had criticized President Duterte for his previous remarks that the arbitral ruling was a piece of paper that can be thrown in the wastebasket and China was already in possession of the West Philippine Sea.
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