Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva and Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor Ejercito supported having former President Rodrigo Duterte maintain backchannel talks with China, given Duterte’s “access” and “friendship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“Why not? [Ýung] access n’ya doon sa China, sa pangulo ng China, talagang he could be the right person to talk [with them] para ma-ease itong tension na nararamdaman doon sa West Philippine Sea,” Villanueva advised reporters.
“More so, to make sure na bukas pa rin ang communication natin. Kasi at the end of the day, hindi naman tayo dapat talagang nagpapadalos-dalos. Ngunit, sa isang banda, hindi rin tayo magpapdarag at hindi rin tayo basta-basta na lamang tatanggapin na pwede tayo batuk-batukan doon sa sarili nating teritoryo.”
Villanueva added he sincerely believed that Duterte may assist “because of his access and he is being respected in China.”
Ejercito echoed Villanueva’s view that there was a necessity to take care of traces of communication with China amid the state of affairs within the WPS, and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano’s suggestion that Duterte be made a particular envoy to China.
“Yes, that would be a good suggestion na gawin siyang special envoy to China. Ang importante kasi dito lines are open e kahit na hindi tayo nagkakaintindihan ngayon,” Ejercito stated.
“It’s an open book na talaga namang mas malapit siya sa China… I think President Duterte–siya po ay dating president, naging kaibigan siya ng China… I would agree that President Duterte would make a good special envoy to China regarding the West Philippine Sea issue,” he added.
On Thursday, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri additionally expressed openness to creating Duterte a particular envoy.
“Why not? Anyone who can help diplomacy in this part of the world, in this economic zone of ours, exclusive economic zone, would be a big help,” Zubiri stated.
“It could be former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. It could also be Alan. Why not Senator Alan as well to help in the back channeling since he’s quite close to some of the officials there being the former Secretary of Foreign Affairs?” he added.
Senator Bong Go, Duterte’s former particular assistant, additionally welcomed the concept of getting Duterte discuss with China.
“I agree with Senator Cayetano. Meron siyang magandang relasyon, maganda po ang kaniyang relationship with the leadership of the Chinese government, si President Xi,” stated Go.
“Magkaibigan po sila, magkakaintindihan sila at madali silang mag-usap,” he added.
On Thursday, Zubiri, citing data from President “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., disclosed that Duterte had requested the Chinese president to “look kindly to the Philippines” on the difficulty of the WPS.
Duterte on July 17 met Xi in Beijing simply days after the Philippines commemorated the seventh anniversary of the arbitral ruling which upheld the nation’s unique financial zone within the West Philippine Sea over China’s huge claims.
Xi was reported to have requested Duterte to proceed selling cooperation between the 2 nations.
“I hope you will continue to play an important role in the friendly cooperation (between China and the Philippines),” state media quoted Xi as saying throughout a gathering on the Diaoyutai state guest-house in Beijing.
“During your tenure as president of the Philippines, you had resolutely made the strategic choice to improve relations with China in an attitude of being responsible to the people and to history,” Xi advised Duterte.
Asked to touch upon Duterte’s assembly with Xi, Marcos stated he was conscious of the previous President’s journey to China and welcomed any new line of communication with the Asian energy amid points within the South China Sea.
Marcos added that he was sure Duterte would inform the Philippine authorities of the small print of his dialog with Chinese President Xi Jinping and the way it may have an effect on the nation. — DVM, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
