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Vice President Sara Duterte questioned United States President Donald Trump’s comments about the Philippines-China and Philippines-US relations during the time of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, insisting that the country should maintain an “independent foreign policy” and disallow its militarization by US forces.
Vice President Sara Duterte and US President Donald Trump (AP/MANILA BULLETIN)
In a speech during a “Free Duterte Rally” in South Korea on Sunday, July 27, the official hit back at Trump and President Marcos for the insinuation that her father’s administration geared towards friendlier relations with China.
“Ang sabi ni President Trump (President Trump said), they tilted toward China and naayos namin yun (we fixed that) and now it is tilting towards the US. Ang tilt, di ba sumasandal (Tilt means to lean, right)?,” she asked.
“Kumikiling na ating foreign policy pa punta sa US. Hindi tama yun dahil nakalagay sa ating Constitution ay independent foreign policy. Ibig sabihin wala kang, di ka kikiling. Tatayo ka sa sariling paa (Our foreign policy is leaning towards the US. That is not right because our Constitution said we must have an independent foreign policy. That means not favoring anyone. You’re going to stand on your own),” she said.
Duterte, who will not attend President Marcos’ fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 28, because she will be just on her way to Manila by then and she believes there’ll be nothing substantial in the address, also criticized the US’ plans to put up an ammunition factory in its old military base in Subic Bay.
“Ano nakikita natin ngayon ang nakikita ay militarization ng ating bayan. Pagpasok ng Amerikano sa iba’t-ibang lugar sa ating bansa (What we’re seeing now is the militarization of our country. The entry of Americans in different parts of our country),” she lamented.
Instead of siding with the United States to strengthen the Philippines’ claims in the West Philippine Sea, the Vice President insisted that the Marcos administration should talk with Beijing and discuss about the enforcement of the 2016 Arbitral Award.
The arbitral victory, once called by her father as “just a piece of paper” that he would throw away, invalidated the basis of China’s sweeping claims in the resource-rich region, including the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of the Philippines.
The younger Duterte also thumbed down the tensions between the two countries at sea.
In recent years, the Philippines Navy, Coast Guard, and civilian vessels have been harassed by Chinese militia ships in areas inside the Philippines’ EEZs. The Vice President has never once called out China for these actions.
Marcos has defended his administration’s closer relationship with the United States, its oldest ally, and with Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, among others. He claimed that the country’s armed forces must be modernized in light of security threats in the region.
