Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Explains Silence on West PH Sea Issue
SARA DUTERTE – Amid the West Philippine Sea issues gathering countless opinions, the Vice President explained why she is silent about it.
Countless government officials in the Philippines have given their opinions and comments on the West Philippine Sea issues. For decades now, China has not surrendered on its claim of the disputed territories. There were even several instances when Filipino authorities were in dangerous situations in the area.
The territorial dispute between the Philippines and China has reached the Arbitral Tribunal. The international body finished its investigation siding on the claim of the Philippines. However, the Arbitral Ruling was and is continuously not recognized by the Chinese government.
Pentagon even sees a possibility that ramming incident in the West Philippine Sea will escalate. Previously, President Bongbong Marcos expressed that the country will not waive its rights on the disputed island. He even expressed that “whatever it takes to protect our sovereign home” will be done by the government.
The noticeable silence of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte on the West Philippine Issue has hooked attention. Meanwhile, recently, the Vice President spoke to explain her silence on the issue.
Based on a report on Inquirer, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte stressed that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) is not responsible to address the issue on the West Philippine Sea dispute between PH and China. The Vice President asserted that there are relevant agencies tasked to address the matter.
Vice Pres. Duterte also stressed that while her silence on the West Philippine Sea issue will be seen as a “lack of response” from her, “it is well-settled that the President is the chief architect of foreign policy”. Based on the report, she stressed that there are established mandates among the offices.
Duterte is no longer part of the Cabinet of Pres. Bongbong Marcos. She resigned from being the secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd). Vice Pres. Duterte has spoken on her relationship with Marcos now amid questions.
Recently, Vice Pres. Duterte was also involved in a heated exchange of statements with some members of the House of Representatives. The spar took place during the hearing set for the discussion of the P2 billion budget sought by the OVP for 2025.
A few days ago, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte also had a spar with Senator Risa Hontiveros over the OVP budget proposal and her book. From the P2 billion budget sought by the OVP for 2025, the Vice President allotted P10 million for the distribution of the book that she authored.