ni Mary Gutierrez Almirañez | May 10, 2021
Nakikita ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte si Chinese President Xi Jinping bilang ‘personal protector’ nito, ayon sa pananaw ni retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio ngayong araw, May 10.
Aniya, "I think that is what’s behind his mind, that President Xi Jinping is his personal protector against his own military if there is a coup d’etat, so he will side, whenever possible, with China against the Philippine interest and we see that every day."
Matatandaan naman nu’ng 2018 nang igiit ni Pangulong Duterte kay President Jinping na, "We will not allow you to be taken out from your office, and we will not allow the Philippines to go to the dogs."
Sa ngayon ay patuloy pa rin ang usapin hinggil sa West Philippine Sea (WPS) laban sa China. Nakatakda namang magkaroon ng debate sa pagitan nina Carpio at Spokesperson Harry Roque tungkol sa WPS, kung saan ang Philippine Bar Association (PBA) ang magiging host.
Dagdag pa ni Carpio, "The head of state like the President if he makes a statement adverse to his nation on an ongoing dispute, that statement binds his nation if accepted by the other country. So when President Duterte said that award is just a scrap of paper, I will throw it to the wastebasket, that can be deemed an abandonment and if China agrees… China will later say: 'You already abandoned it.'"
Kaugnay iyon sa sinabi ni Pangulong Duterte na isa lamang papel ang ‘arbitral victory’ ng ‘Pinas sa WPS at madaling ibasura ang sinulatang papel, na labis ikinabahala ng mga kritiko.
“When the President says that, it sends a signal to the service contractors: They are in danger if they go to the West Philippine Sea. It sends a signal to our fishermen: Their lives are in danger,” pag-aalala pa ni Carpio.