Public told: Be objective, not emotional over Duterte’s words
The public should be “less emotional” and “more objective” when taking in President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncements, Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara said on Tuesday.
“Dapat masanay na tayo, ganun talaga yung personality nya eh,” Angara told reporters. “Sa akin, kalahating taon na sya nagmumura, bakit pa tayo nagugulat? Hind na tayo dapat nagugulat.”
Asked about Duterte’s confusing statements about foreign policy, the senator said the country’s policies were determined by existing laws and not by the President’s speeches.
“Pag nagmura ang President, hindi naman ibig sabihin pinapaalis kayong lahat, so let’s be less emotional and more objective,” said Angara, who belongs to the majority bloc in the Senate.
Told about Duterte’s recent statement to just forget about the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) with the United States, the senator said the President was just probably “thinking aloud” unless there was a formal proposal.
READ: Duterte: Forget Edca, we don’t need it
Article continues after this advertisement“Edca is an executive agreement but there is also an existing treaty that the Senate has to approve or disapprove,” he said, referring to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.
Article continues after this advertisementAsked he if he believed the President’s statement that the Philippines would not cut its ties with the US, Angara noted Duterte’s statement that being independent did not mean being separated.
“So l take that at face value,” the senator said.
Angara, however, expressed hope that the President would be more precise in his pronouncements to avoid uncertainty./rga
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