Duterte betrayed public trust? ‘Attention-seeking’ Carpio should file lawsuit — Palace
By Deighton Acuin
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| PHOTO: ABS-CBN News |
Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio should file a lawsuit against President Rodrigo Duterte if he thinks that the latter betrayed the public trust and the Constitution, Malacañang said Monday.
When sought for a comment on Carpio’s pronouncements, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said: “Alam niyo po ang taong bago sa pulitika, sasabihin ang lahat para mapansin. And this is yet another instance of Justice Carpio saying things just for the attention.”
He added: “Pwede po kayo magdemanda sa hukuman kung saan kayo umupo nang napakatagal na panahon. Kung sa tingin niyo meron talagang nilalabag na probisyon ng Saligang Batas ang Presidente, yan po ang hamon ko. File the suit pursuant to your standing as citizen.”
Moreover, Roque denied the claims that the Duterte government gave Philippine territories to China.
“Bakit betrayal of public trust? Meron bang nawalang teritoryo sa administrasyon ni Presidente Duterte? Wala. Meron ba siyang binigay na teritoryo sa Tsina? Wala,” Roque said.
He said that the administration’s foreign policy to pursue trading and investments with China amid the sea row is not an impeachable offense.
“Ang totoo nyan [The truth is], it’s not just because it’s a numbers game. It is because it’s utterly bereft of merit. Because the President is the sole architect, primary architect of foreign policy,” Roque said.
Carpio served as the legal counsel of former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales for the filed complaint accusing China and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “crimes against humanity” committed to the Filipinos before the International Criminal Court last March 2019.
However, the ICC dismissed the case since it has no personal or territorial jurisdiction with regards on the issue.
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