Aquino slams Cayetano’s handling of WPS dispute

Former President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday belittled Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano’s conduct with China, telling the country’s top diplomat that his politics should be as “transparent as his hairstyle.”

Aquino’s comments were the latest in a word war between the two former party mates who disagree over Cayetano’s handling of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) dispute.

On Tuesday, Cayetano challenged Aquino to ask Albert del Rosario, his former foreign affairs secretary: “Were you transparent with me?” Aquino fired back: “He and I have a transparent hairstyle.

Hopefully his politics, too, could be transparent. I’m not insulting him, his hair is thicker than mine.”

Aquino also questioned the government’s proposed 60-40 sharing agreement with China for natural resources in the West Philippine Sea. “We have no obligation to share with [China],” Aquino said.— MATTHEW REYSIO-CRUZ