MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday downplayed as just another sarcastic teasing or “kantyaw” President Rodrigo Duterte’s remarks about choosing between being a territory of the United States or province of China.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, when asked to explain the government’s independent foreign policy, said that what Duterte actually meant was that the Philippines can be colonized by any country if it could not be self-reliant or fail to stand on its own.
“Sinasabi niya na kung hindi natin kayang maging gobyerno, e di magpa-colonize na lang tayo. Yun ang ibig niyang sabihin (What he’s saying is that we can’t be a government, let’s just be colonized. That’s what he meant),” Panelo said his press briefing.
“It would not matter whether China or any other country. Yun ang ibig niyang sabihin. Ano lang yun, parang reference niya lang. That was a general statement, kumbaga kantyaw yun sa sarili nating bansa (It would not matter whether it’s China or any other country, that’s what he meant. That was only a reference. That was a general statement, in effect, he was teasing our own country),” he added.
Duterte earlier said the Philippines should choose between becoming a territory of the United States or a province of China if it could not stand on its own feet.
The President said this as he defended his decision to abrogate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), questioning whether the country needs US’ aid to survive.
Duterte earlier ordered termination of the agreement following the cancellation of former top cop and Senator Ronald Dela Rosa’s US visa.
But his US counterpart President Donald Trump said he did not mind the agreement’s termination saying “it will save a lot of money.”