Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
Presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte could face an impeachment complaint if he insists after he assumes office on June 30 that the Philippines has already lost its claim over Scarborough Shoal, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV warned on Monday.
Trillanes released to the media transcripts of hearings conducted by the Senate committee on national defense, which he chairs, on October 30, 2013 and on May 7, 2015, which showed that defense and security officials repeatedly stated that the country has not lost Scarborough Shoal.
So it would be “very dangerous” for the presumptive President-elect to say otherwise, said the senator.
“It’s very dangerous for the presumptive President to say that we’ve lost Scarborough kasi it will weaken our claim unless nagpapauna sya at ituturo lang sa amin. I will not allow that to happen because we have that on record na bago sya nag-assume in office, sa atin pa ang Scarborough, wala pang reclamation dyan,” he said at a press conference in his office at the Senate.
READ: Trillanes may yet rule the Philippines
(It’s very dangerous for the presumptive President to say that we’ve lost Scarborough because it will weaken our claim unless he is preempting the matter and it would be instructed to us. I will not allow that to happen because we have that on record that before he assumed office, Scarborough is ours, there is no reclamation there yet.)
Trillanes was appointed by President Benigno Aquino III in 2012 to hold back-door negotiations with China. However, his role, he said, was only to defuse tension between the Philippines and China. He said the negotiations did not touch on the sovereignty issue.
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He said the entire country, including its claims over Scarborough Shoal and the West Philippine Sea, is intact when Duterte formally assumes office on June 30.
Asked why he thinks Duterte would claim that the Philippines had already lost Scarborough Shoal, Trillanes said: “Baka kasi nagpapauna sya, sa akin ha, sana naman huwag kasi delikado ang President ang magsasabi na nawala na natin yung isla na yan kahit atin pa. Kasi nga ngayon, parang binibigyan nya lisensya yung China to occupy the area tapos ang gagawin nya ibi-blame kami ni President Aquino.”
(I think he is preempting, I hope he won’t do that because as the President, it would be dangerous if he says we already lost our claims over the island although we have not lost it yet. Now, it seems like he is giving China the license to occupy the area then he will blame President Aquino and me.)
“Pag ginawa nya yan (If he does that), that’s an impeachable offense. Pag ka umupo sya on June 30 at sabihing nya na (If he assumes office on on June 30 and he says) we have lost Scarborough, that’s already a basis for an impeachment complaint.”
Trillanes said it would be a clear violation of the Constitution when Duterte formally assumes office and still claims that the country has already lost its claim over Scarborough Shoal.
“Ngayon, pwede pa syang palusutin dahil hindi pa sya nabi-brief ng maayos ng security officials pero pag sinabi nya yan nakakupo na sya on June 30, that’s an impeachable offense kasi violation yan ng Constitution kasi dapat ipu-pursue nya ang claim ng ating teritoryo,” he added. RAM/rga
(Now, he can be excused [for saying such] because security officials have yet to brief him but if he assumes office on June 30 and continues to say such, that’s an impeachable offense because it’s a violation of the Constitution because he should pursue our claims over our territories.)
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