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President Rodrigo Duterte has a different leadership style compared to former President Fidel Ramos, who recently criticized the administration for its refusal to ratify the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Presidential Communications Office Secretary Martin Andanar said the two leaders differ in the "approach or method" on the issue of climate change.

"Each has his own style and we have to learn to respect the difference," he said in a statement.

Ramos, in his column at the Manila Bulletin on October 29, slammed Duterte on his stance on the Paris Agreement, which was crafted by 195 nations, including the Philippines .

"In his consistently frequent insulting diatribes against the US , EU, and the UN, in which President Du30 also keeps complaining against the December, 2015, Paris Agreement on Climate Change, he is unwittingly shooting himself in the mouth, and also all of us, 101.5 million Filipinos," Ramos said.

"He (Duterte) may claim that to be more 'insulting than friendly' to our long-established allies is part of his God-given 'destiny.' But, this is obviously wrong, and full of S…. T !!!," he added.

He wondered if the president would just allow the Filipinos to continue suffering from the devastating effects of typhoons, such as “Karen” and “Lawin,” "which must now be mitigated by more intense international cooperation and collective positive action."

To date, 85 out of 197 parties accounting for at least 55 percent of global emissions have already ratified the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement shall therefore enter into force on November 4, 2016, and the first meeting of the “Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of Parties to the Paris Agreement” will assemble in Marrakech , Morocco , on November 7.

"With the Philippines not having yet ratified the Paris Agreement, we can only be observers in the Marrakech meeting. Therefore, President Digong should forthwith approve the Paris Agreement and certify it for Senate ratification to promote our country's interests and fight for climate justice," Ramos stressed.

Duterte has slammed western and other developed countries for imposing carbon limits to small countries, such as the Philippines , after they have already developed.

He has said carbon restrictions set under a climate deal approved in Paris late last year would slow down Philippine industrialization.

"Since assuming the presidency on 30 June 2016, the Du30 administration, unfortunately, has done little to move the Paris Agreement forward so that the Philippines can be credited with having ratified this super important agreement that would prolong mankind's survival on planet earth," Ramos said.

Under the Paris Agreement, signatories would limit global warming well below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to work to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Ramos said ratifying the Paris Agreement will allow the Philippines to participate in the global effort to address climate change and advance the interests of the country and the people, as one of the most vulnerable to climate change.

It will also enable the Philippines to secure more investments towards climate goals and gain access to the financial, technological, and capacity-building support to be provided to parties of the Agreement, he said.

On the other hand, not ratifying the Paris Agreement will force the country to continue on its own without having to consider or report on the contributions to the global response to climate change.

"Note, however, that our country has spent an average of 0.5% of its GDP (gross domestic product) per year for the past 25 years for 'Losses and Damages'; so we are, in effect, already paying for the impacts of climate change to which we have contributed very little," he said.

For perspective, the Philippines is responsible for only about one-third of 1 percent of yearly global emissions, he noted.

He warned any delay will increase Filipinos' vulnerability to super typhoons that are forecast to come soon.

While the Philippines has not yet lost everything due to Duterte's pronouncements against the US, EU and the UN, Ramos, however, said, "much goodwill, international confidence, and valuable time have already been wasted." Celerina Monte/DMS