‘Ignore’ arbitral ruling for gas deal? ‘Extremely irresponsible’ – Robredo

President Rodrigo Duterte chats with Vice President Leni Robredo during the 38th Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Commencement Exercises for “Masidlak” Class of 2017 at Camp General Mariano N. Castañeda in Silang, Cavite on March 24, 2017. (File photo by MARCELINO PASCUA / Presidential Photographers Division)

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday called “profoundly disappointing and extremely irresponsible” President Rodrigo Duterte’s avowal to “ignore” the landmark arbitral ruling to usher the joint oil and gas survey of the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea.

Citing the Constitution, Robredo stressed that the State could enter into agreements with foreign countries provided that these shall lead to “real contributions to the economic growth and general welfare of the country.”

“The recent declaration by the President that he will ‘ignore’ the arbitral ruling upholding the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea to pave the way for a joint oil and gas exploration agreement with China is profoundly disappointing and extremely irresponsible,” Robredo said.

“The President’s own Secretary of Foreign Affairs has stated that there is no need to set aside the 2016 ruling in order for joint development between China and the Philippines to move forward,” she also pointed out.

Robredo even debunked Duterte, saying the country’s options are not limited to “capitulation or conflict”.

“Again, as a number of respected authorities have done so before, I must point out that THIS IS NOT TRUE. Open warfare is far from the sole means of asserting our rights to our EEZ, as our neighboring nations Vietnam and Indonesia have recently and repeatedly proven,” the Vice President argued.

Consistency in stance

Robredo, a lawyer by profession, also said that consistency in positions, negotiations, and statements serve as the “strongest anchor to our claim”.

“A firm, consistent assertion of our legal rights does not require a single shot being fired, yet why do the President and his administration constantly fail at doing it?” Robredo asked.

“Why are the President and his administration the very ones who undermine our decisive victory before the Arbitral Tribunal in 2016 with remarks such as this?” she added.

Robredo lamented how Duterte handles the Philippines’ maritime row with China.

“It will affect the lives not just of our generation of Filipinos, but that of our children, and our children’s children. We must take great care in ensuring that we are not trading away the long-term interests of our nation and our children for short-term profit,” she noted.

“Guaranteeing a better future for our children is perhaps one of the most important, and most difficult, responsibilities of any administration.  Selling that future for a gas deal with China is a shameful way of abandoning that responsibility,” she further said. /kga