Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Clarifies Statement over PH-US-China Relationships
SARA DUTERTE – The Vice President claimed that the relationships of the Philippines with the United States and China must be distinct.
Vice Pres. Duterte was recently criticized after saying that the Philippines should “stay in the middle” over the power struggle between the United States and China. Malacañang even said that the Duterte family is allegedly “pro-China”.
It is no secret to the public that there is a long-standing territorial dispute between the Philippines and China over the West Philippine Sea. The Chinese government did not stop asserting its claim despite the decision of the International Tribunal in 2016 that sided with the Philippines.
Amid the ongoing tension between the two (2) countries over the territorial dispute, Pres. Bongbong Marcos said that the moves of China in the South China Sea “cannot be ignored”. Recently, as she clarified her previous statement about the ties of the country with the United States and China, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte expressed her belief that the relations of the Philippines with the two (2) super powers must be distinct.
According to Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, the Philippines should not lean towards the United States over its issues with China specifically on the territorial dispute over the West Philippine Sea. She stressed that the country has an “independent foreign policy”.
“For the Philippines, we – our Constitution clearly states that we should have an independent foreign policy. So, our relationship with the US and our relationship with China should be two separate engagements,” she said.
Based on the report, Vice Pres. Duterte claimed that the Marcos administration is allegedly “alienating” China. According to her, the Philippines should not be involved in the competition between the two (2) super powers.
Former senator and ML party-list representative-elect Leila de Lima claimed that previous remarks of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte questioning the Marcos administration allegedly made her a “traitor” just like her father, former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
Former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is currently detained in The Hague, Netherlands. He is faced with an allegation of crimes against humanity over his administration’s war on drugs. Recently, Pres. Bongbong Marcos said his administration will continue the drug war but in a different way.