By Deighton Acuin

PHOTO: PCOO

“Kung bright kayo, bakit nawala ang West Philippine Sea sa atin? Panahon ninyo 'yon eh. Panahon ninyo na talagang nandiyan kayo sa pwesto.”

President Rodrigo Duterte had this query as he slammed former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio due to construction activities in the West Philippine Sea during their term.

According to Duterte, the WPS was occupied by Chinese under former President Benigno Aquino III’s term.

"Anong ginawa ninyong nasa gobyerno? Ikaw, Albert, ikaw nagsabi sa Navy na umatras kayo because of the Americans or you were afraid? Nawalan ka ng bayag diyan. Sana sinabi mo we will stand our ground. We will not retreat. We will not get out of the West Philippine Sea because it's ours and we are calling for at least an offer for the United States to send a flotilla of ships para to back us up," he said.

"Nasa Supreme Court naman kayo noon, bakit di niyo sinabihan si P-Noy na maggawa nito, maggawa noon instead nag-retreat kayo. Ang naabutan ko, talo na tayo. Ang China kumasa na ng husto na kanila talaga kaya," Duterte added.

"I have a choice of going to war, mamamatay tayong lahat kasi wala talaga tayong armas or I will just send my soldiers to hell which I'll never do. Hindi ko ipalaban mga sundalo ko. Kailangan kung may laban, manalo tayo," the president said.

It was in 2013 when the Philippines challenged the China’s assertions in the territory before The Hague, Netherlands Permanent Court of Arbitration, and later won the case in 2016 invalidating Beijing’s nine-dash-line claim.

However, China did not recognize the ruling and said the basis is “indisputable.”


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