Duterte pulls out from debate with Carpio over West Philippine Sea issue with China
President Rodrigo Duterte has withdrawn from his challenge to debate with retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio over the issue on West Philippine Sea between the Philippines and China.
In a televised press briefing on Friday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said he will instead debate with Carpio.
"The President was supposedly ready to debate but last night he accepteed the advice of some Cabinet members, including Executive Secretary (Salvador) Medialdea," he said.
"What the Cabinet members have said and this was supported by Senate President (Vicente) Sotto (III) and Senator (Aquilino) Pimentel (III), first, nothing good for the Filipinos will result from the debate," Roque said.
He also said the Cabinet officials wondered why Duterte, a sitting president, will debate to an "ordinary lawyer" now although he became an associate justice of the Supeme Court.
"Apparently it's not fair that the Office of the President wherein the President himself will face an ordinary (lawyer)," he said.
Roque also said that if Duterte will participate in the debate, whatever he may say can affect the government's policies.
"Whatever he will say in that debate, except for the fact that there is so called executive privilege, he cannot withdraw those things that should not be made public in order to make the right decision - even if not a popular decision - of a president. Things, those information, will be compromised if the President will agree and continue with the debate with former Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio," Roque explained.
In his "Talk to the People" last Monday, Duterte dared Carpio to a debate after the latter kept on criticizing him over his soft and friendly stance over the West Philippine Sea issue with China.
Instead of Duterte debating with the former magistrate, he said the President designated him to debate with Carpio.
"It's just right that the two of us,Justice Carpio, to debate. We're both lawyers and we're both spokespersons. I'm the spokesperson of the Filipinos and the President, he is the spokesperson of the 1Sambayanan and also became the spokesperson of the opposition when it comes to the WPS or West Philippine Sea. It's a fair fight, spokesperson to spokesperson," he said.
He said the Philippine Bar Association, which initially offered to arrange the debate between Duterte and Carpio, has to let him know when and where the debate will be.
Roque said the issue to be debated are whether or not Duterte or the other administration was responsible for the lost of territory in the West Philippine Sea; whether or not Duterte dismissed the arbitration award to the Philippines; and whether or not the President is giving away the Philippine terriroty.
"As they said, the reason for valuing a debate, the free speech, because the true test of truth is the power of an idea to be accepted in the free markerplace of ideas. Retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, it would be a pleasure to debate against you, I'll see you at the designated time and place," Roque said.
He also challenged former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario to join in the debate.
Del Rosario claimed that it is a national tragedy that Duterte is taking the side of China and treating the arbitral ruling as a scrap of paper to be thrown in the waste basket.
Roque accused Del Rosario of being the one responsible why the Philippines lost control of Scarborough Shoal when the latter allegedly ordered the withdrawal of the Philippine ships during the April 2012 standoff with China. Celerina Monte/DMS
